Mary Clare is 8 1/2 and a big 3rd grader this year. She has really taken off with her reading, and starting to show interest in chapter books, so this year we'll be focusing a lot more on spelling and writing. Math she has always taken to and continues to do well. She eats up history and science and has such a great grasp of the world and all the things we learn about. She loves to ask Steven at dinner what "the question of the day" is. He can usually come up with something fun to teach them about! He also has them go over their school checklist with him at the end of the day, which helps keep us accountable.
She is a leader in so many ways. She has so much fun playing elaborate games of house, school, dance class/performance, or restaurant these days. It goes on for hours. She is doing a little better at compromising with her siblings, and the younger ones do sometimes let her have her own time to play or craft without them. She is thriving at our homeschool co-op, and gets so excited about her presentations each week. I'm very glad we started this program even though we'll have to leave mid-year. It's been good for all of us.
Mary Clare is also continuing to bloom in ballet. She has done so well the past years and it will be interesting to see how the girls might take to a new studio when we move. There won't be a similar Christian and syllabus-based ballet school, so we'll have to try out some other options. Right now they want to wait until next fall to start at a new studio, but we'll see how things go. Both girls want their own inline skates since I recently bought some at a thrift store. And they have been anxious to start biking and "skootering" and playing outside again as the weather slowly starts to cool off.
Ellie is 6 and in 1st grade. I have to remind myself to slow down with her, because I feel more urgency with following the syllabus for her sister. She has shown lots of improvement in reading and handwriting, as well as math. She loves all the songs and games and hand-motions we're doing for memory work in different subjects. She loves performing all her memorized poems! She is also really enjoying the co-op and likes being the one to stand up and do her presentation or lead the class in some activity. I'm so glad both the girls are in their own class and can have this fun classroom experience this fall. But they do get to share in the homemaking club, which Ellie is thrilled to be a part of this year! See her learning embroidery...
Ellie has taken to playing with Steven Joseph more often. They sometimes start their own games together and play for long periods of time. Often they go to sleep together in the boys' room, at least for a short while until one or more ends up in our bed! Ellie is definitely the performer, and most of her play and games revolve around performances. Last week I was trying to get everyone ready to go out of the house for something when both Ellie and Steven Joseph ran into the room dressed as clowns with their faces decorated in (non-washable) marker!
She is also thriving in ballet, and is the youngest in her Grade 1 class this year. She loves being in the Modern class with Mary Clare, so she also gets to dance two days a week. Ellie still loves to save up her money and dreams of buying new toys. She also said a funny thing when we were about to get our portraits taken last weekend. I told her that we might get to be on the photographer's blog, and she responded that she hoped she would get to be in a magazine! That girl. She will keep us on our toes as the years go by. Thankfully her big sis is a little more grounded and can keep her in check for us!
The girls and I had a quiet day yesterday with Steven and Steven gone on a fishing excursion. We had my parents over on Saturday afternoon, and played a fun dice game, a Catechism game, and Boggle, and had lots of good laughs. We missed our boys, but my what a quiet house it was! I pray that the girls handle these next few days and weeks with grace. They will have some stress in their little minds worried about their brother, and will be staying with different family members and friends while we are with him. I pray that this experience helps us all grow in compassion and helps to fix those things in our own hearts that need healing and mending.
My girls are really growing up, and each day they are looking older to me. Gone are the days of hairbows and letting me choose their clothes, for the most part. They are independent leaders, with a lot of drive and willpower for things they are passionate about. I look forward to watching them grow and develop into the young ladies that God is calling them to be, and I pray that the upcoming move just strengthens their faith and our family relationships. There are lots of exciting things to come for these girls and I can't wait to watch it all happen.
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