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.

Meal Plan: Week 45

You will have to excuse me for missing week 44. My oldest was sick, and then the younger two followed suit. Not only did I not have a menu planned for the week, my husband and I ended up eating freezer foods and leftovers for most of the week while the sick children ate whatever they asked for (within reason).

I am so very excited to be preparing even more soups and cold weather meals. I love fall weather!

 

SUNDAY

Breakfast
Cereal
Lunch
Pancakes
Snack
none--late lunch
Dinner
Veggie Starter: Yellow Squash
Main Course: Vegetable Soup with Peanut Butter Sandwiches

MONDAY

Breakfast
Mini Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with Peanut Butter and Stewed Apples
Lunch
Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Brown Rice, Steamed Broccoli, Mandarin Oranges
Snack
No-Bake Cookies
Dinner
Veggie Starter: ---
Main Course: Shepherd's Pie

TUESDAY

Breakfast
Special K Red Berries with Milk, Banana
Lunch
Southern Chickpea Salad, Crackers, Garden Salad, Grapes
Snack
No-Bake Cookies
Dinner
Veggie Starter: Sautéed Asparagus with Lemon-Olive Oil
Main Course: Mushroom Stroganoff

 

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast
Granola, Strawberries, Yogurt
Lunch
PB&J, Apples
Snack
Smoothies
Dinner
Veggie Starter: ---
Main Course: Sloppy Joes, Tater Tots

THURSDAY

Breakfast
Whole Wheat Toast with Fruit Preserves, Almonds
Lunch
Fishless Filets with Tartar Sauce, Bun, Salad, Pineapple
Snack
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Dinner
Veggie Starter: ---
Main Course: Lentil Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

FRIDAY

Breakfast
Slow Cooker Irish Oatmeal, Blueberries
Lunch
TBD
Snack
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Dinner
Veggie Starter: ---
Main Course: Hawaiian Style Tofu with Brown Rice

SATURDAY

Breakfast
Apple Cider Donut Holes
Lunch
TBD
Snack
TBD
Dinner
Veggie Starter: Salad
Dinner: Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna, Garlic Bread


Recipes for the meals above are provided in the appropriate link or will be provided in a later post.

Week in Review 2015: #44

Life

Oh what a long and exhausting week it has been! This week was our scheduled week off for school (I do 6 weeks on, 1 week off). I had big plans. Clean, get organized, maybe do a little bit of catch-up work with Bridget. I have done non of the above. Why? The children have been sick ALL WEEK.

On Saturday, Bridget came down with a cold. She stayed at home with Papa while the rest of us attended church on Sunday. Then on Monday morning, George was beginning to cough. By Monday night, Liam was coughing. I took all three of them in to the doctor first thing on Tuesday morning. Lungs clear, no ear infections, negative for strep. Diagnosed as just a common cold with no special instructions. The cold symptoms continued on for the rest of the week. If Bridget talked too much, she'd cough; if she sat down to write or draw anything, she had to stop to blow her nose. Catching up on school work was definitely out. George's cough and runny nose never got as bad as Bridget's, and Liam only coughs a few times a day. I'm very thankful for that because sick babies make me very sad. Liam did spend much of his week being cute as a button.

Liam lounging on the floor with Daddy after a long day

Then this morning (Friday), I noticed spots on George's left arm. He had been attacked some sort of bug on Sunday, but all of those bug bites were now gone. The new spots on George's arm also did not resemble bug bites. They resembled ringworm, without the bumps. I got worried and called the doctor immediately and they got us in right away. It turns out, George has hives! The doctor said that they are due to the cold virus he has, and that they will probably get worse, move around to different parts of his body, etc. The only good news is that they are not contagious. However, the hives were a unneeded finishing touch to this terrible and unproductive week.

George's hives... he can't catch a break!

We also missed gymnastics, ballet, and tap/jazz lessons this week. I love trying to find the time to make up our missed classes (I don't have to do this, but I certainly want to get my money's worth). I am looking forward to Parent's Week next week, especially for Bridget's dance classes. While I do get to watch both of the kids at gymnastics, Bridget's ballet and tap/jazz classes are off limits for parents (some parents can be far too distracting for the little dancers).

In an attempt to end on a high note, we did look at houses today. We're getting ready to possibly build a house and we submitted our floor plan modifications to the builder, and they should get back to us within a week or so with the modifications drawn out and an estimated price. It's nothing to get excited about yet, because if their price is not what we feel it would be worth, then we're out. Being married to an accountant can be difficult sometimes, because he is always crunching numbers and getting down to the nitty-gritty of anything and everything.

Homeschool 

We're on a break from school this week!!!

 

Family Movie Night

My husband called me on Wednesday afternoon and asked if he should pick up a movie for the kid's to watch. He wanted to do something to lift their spirits. So he picked up the movie Inside Out and we got it started at around 5 o'clock. He also had a special treat for me... he picked up a Veggie Delight sandwich from Subway so that I wouldn't have to prepare anything for dinner! The children had a light dinner of fruit and toast (their appetites were small due to being sick), while I ate an entire foot long sub sandwich (and felt no guilt afterward).

 

While the movie didn't take place on our designated Family Movie Night (Fridays), it was still so nice to have a relaxing evening in with the family.

 

Next Week's Movie: TBD

 

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