This School Year So Far

This school year started off crazy.  It was when we were in the midst of figuring out whether we'd be having twins or not, and things were kind of all over the place.  So I'm glad this wasn't my first year homeschooling because the kids already knew the drill and their schedules and were able to get to work easily.

We've kept up the same schedule as last year, but this year our social studies is a bit more fun and intense.  Each week Lily and Skyler take turns choosing a country to study and we learn all about their culture, the way their country is run, their food, language, climate -- all of what a 7 and 8 year-old could understand.  Each time we choose a new country the kids are always eager to learn more about their food in particular.  We've studied some pretty gross cuisines (care for marine mammal meat in Greenland, anyone?).  But there have been a couple of times when we actually wanted to really cook up a recipe or two from specific countries.  When Lily picked France, I basically thought of a whole list of food to make, but ultimately we only made madeleines and one humongous creme brulee.

This year I've also been teaching a homeschooling art class every Thursday.  I have 11 students including Lily and Skyler.  I have loved this so much.  Each week we study a classic artist and his/her genre.  I am a firm believer that you can't teach art without also teaching social studies with it.  But the kids have surprisingly been fascinated by it.  I thought they would all get bored with the lessons I give before they actually start their artwork, but instead they seem to soak it all up and share their thoughts.  Their ages range from 5-10, and I am seriously impressed by some of their work.  There is one bubbly girl in my class who, no matter the genre, draws my portrait every week in whatever medium we're using.  It's awesome and I love it.  Ha!

This past week -- just in time for Halloween -- we studied the Maori culture and the significance in their tattoos.  For the first time ever, we didn't use paper for our art projects, we used our bodies.  The kids all got to tattoo themselves with eyeliner and it was a lot of fun for everyone.

Here are some of my kids:

Ella's Observation Week

Lucky for me, I was able to go to Ella's observation day at ballet as well.  Normally I just bring Lily and we do math in the waiting area while Ella is in class.  But after the boys watched Lily dance, they insisted on watching Ella dance, too.  Since they were phenomenally amazing during Lily's class, I said okay and they tagged along.  They were amazing.  I mourn over the fact that my kids are getting older, but in all seriousness, the fact that they're able to understand behavioral expectations is a huge plus.

Also, this is how I spent most of the class:

May he never grow older.

Also, I have decided that if Ben would have been born a girl he would be Ella's twin.  As I look at these pictures I can't help but see 4 year-old Ben with long, long curls.

Ella's plie.

*waving* "Hi Mom!  Hi Skyler!  Hi Lily!  Hi Faddeo!"

(She had to make sure we felt the love about 10 times during her class)

Enjoy her preciousness.

Lily's Observation Week

Twice a year I look forward to observation week at ballet and then without fail I always forget that it's observation week and I'm scrambling with my hands full of kids while taking lame-o shots on my phone.  However -- it never ceases to amaze me how much none of that matters.  I can think of very few things I enjoy more than watching Lily dance.  It is crazy to see how much she has grown up.  Looking at her now it's hard to believe that she was this super chubby baby with rolls covering her arms and legs.  Instead she has turned into this gorgeous young lady and depending on the moment, I'm not sure if I'm okay with it.

But during observation week, I'm always okay with it.

This is our 3rd year in a row with Miss Carrie.  We love her so much that Ella is now taking ballet from her as well.  Miss Carrie is about as perfect as a ballet teacher can be.  She is always patient, in good spirits, and genuinely loves all of her girls.  She's also a homeschooling mom herself so that earns her extra points.  ;)

This year they've really put a lot of emphasis on stretching and twisting the girls' bodies so that they can be correctly positioned without hurting themselves.  I have tried attempting some of their exercises and I can't do most of them.  Ha.  My body's getting old.  In this picture Lily's TA is helping her point her left foot backwards toward her heel.

Also, I have to say how much I appreciate having teenage teacher assistants in Lily and Ella's classes.  They always are so kind and helpful, but more than anything they give the younger girls a glimpse at what they can become if they continue to work hard.  I love Holly Springs School of Dance so much.  When classes start each hour and all the girls are hopping out of their cars, there are 4 year-olds and 17 year-olds and everything in between walking together and talking.  Several times a year the younger girls go into the older girls' studios to observe.  I really can't emphasize how much I love this non-competitive dance school.

She made it up!  She almost got her arms above her head while balancing.

Ben's Great British Bake Off

Ben and I have watched a bunch of seasons of The Great British Bake Off, and we're *slightly* obsessed with it for several different reasons.

First, it is the nicest competition in the world.  Why can't all competitors be so nice and helpful to each other in America?

Second, Americans really have no clue how to bake.  We make cakes and cookies, and that's about it.  British people are like, "Oh yeah, I make jam and custard to put in my homemade trifles all the time.  But my cakes are always a genoise.  I wouldn't make another type of sponge."

Third, they have the best hosts on TV.  

Fourth, the judges names are Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry.  Can you think of a better baking name than Mary Berry????

Anyway, now that I have proven my nerdiness, I'll explain what happened last Sunday.  Ben was making dinner.  Butternut squash soup was already on the stove and he wanted to make biscuits.  But why make them the traditional way by cutting in the butter?  Why not *dramatic music* make it the way you would make homemade phyllo dough?

(All of you who have seen Bake Off know that making your own phyllo dough is the most difficult of all baking skills)

So he used a biscuit recipe but made it like phyllo dough.  Here is the camera footage.

(Please read all commentary in a British accent as Ben and I were speaking this way the whole time he was doing this)

First you have to thinly slice your butter.  It is crucial that the butter be as cold as possible.  Don't touch it with your hands.  Be sure to cover both sides with cling film.

(I'm sorry, I just can't help myself)

Then beat it....

And roll the butter out so that it's the same size as your dough.

Then put the two on top of one another...

And fold one third at a time, just so.

Keep repeating the folding and rolling out until you have several layers of butter between the dough.

As Mary Berry would say, "This has very clearly defined layers."

OVEN STARING!

Phyllo dough-ish biscuits.

I had to sample the biscuits the way Mary Berry always does from the side of her mouth.

After eating two biscuits, it was clear that Ben was definitely last week's star baker.

Thad's 3rd Birthday

September was one doozy of a month for me.  My doctor warned me that miscarrying twins could be twice as hard as miscarrying just one baby.  My hcg levels were one of the highest he'd ever seen and he told me I might crash as my hormones were going back to normal.  Well, he wasn't kidding because I spent most of the month of September in bed dealing with one health problem after another after another after another.  Ben was incredible and pulled double duty many days, while friends and my parents also stepped in to help with the kids.  I truly couldn't have made it without help.

Needless to say, I didn't think I could do anything too big for Thad's birthday.  Fortunately he was only turning 3 and so he was happy with having a water balloon fight and going out for pizza.

You can't really tell, but the water balloons came with dye and so they made different colors when they exploded.  Ben was the main target of the day.  :)

When they were done Ben hosed them off which, apparently, was just as much fun as the water balloon fight.

He's been waiting for so long to get his very own piggy bank.  He was so excited to see it was a BB-8 bank.

His bouncy zebra from Nanni and Papa was a hit.

And he loved his dragon place mat from Grandmum and Pop Pop.

Happy birthday little Bud!