Evie's World

In Evie's world the skies are blue and the clouds are white when she's being held and she's the center of attention.

She's such a happy girl as long as we are near. 

Getting ready to go to the library and she couldn't see out of her seat and doesn't like to be alone in there.  I love how she just handled it.  She's such a hoot.

Two of the kids had appointments in St. Louis this week and Ev was mom's ride along.  She was trying out some new facial expressions after the extended car time.  🤣

I think her little mouth hurts a bit, but the expressions are hilarious.

Grandma Num and Papa kept Mia and Zayden at their house while we were in STL.  We had planned to pick them up and go on home, but about 20 minutes from their house, Evalynn absolutely lost her cool.  She was all done with the car seat and the traveling.  So we called it a night and stayed over at Grandma and Papa's.  She was much better once she got out of the seat, stripped down, and got to stretch out.  Look at girlfriend getting up - so strong!

Today she was a bit frumpy - likely residual feelings from 3 days with travel involved, likely some teething symptoms, too.  We did lots of snuggles,

she played on the floor a little bit,

and when all else failed, mom got out the old wraps and tucked her close.

We ended the night with a milk pop,

a nice warm tummy tub, oils, and more snuggles.

Some days it's Evie's world, and we're just living in it.

Five Months Old {Evalynn Nancy}

This beautiful girl is five months old.

She scooches like an inchworm, is starting to get up on all fours and rock, loves to put everything in her mouth, and has all but given up sleeping.   She is also a darling, and has become the family's princess.  The children make over her continually and she must grow on kisses, hugs, and pure love.

 She's also beautiful, has a killer smile and shiny blue eyes, and has gotten very expressive.

She's become a bit more cautious around people, and men's voices occasionally startle her.  Sometimes even her Daddy gives her a start if he talks and her back is turned or she doesn't know he's in the room.  Then her lip does a sad quiver and she lets out a slow but intense cry.

The amber necklace has helped with some of the excessive drooling and she doesn't have any teeth yet, but she gives her mouth a workout.

My heart, you beautiful girl.

 I kiss 'dem chins and neck rolls everyday.

Her eyelashes are growing longer, too, framing those baby blues.

So maybe I took too many 5 month pictures.  Oops.  not sorry
This is her, "mom, I'm over it" face, but look at those hands.  #poser

For your bonus viewing pleasure....
The expressions of Evalynn Nancy...

Big Strong Evie {Scooching & Pushing Up}

This little Evalynn is getting a bit big for her britches.
She is pushing up on her feet and hands - full on air under her belly!

oooooh, mama, did you see what I just did!?

She can also tripod sit for a long time and falls/log rolls safely to the side when she's done.

Dat scrunchy nose.

She's become such a crummy sleeper but thankfully she's such a cutie love.

Oh wait, she sleeps...if you hold her. #rotten

She still loves the tummy tub.

She loves when it's time to stand up and wash her body so she can talk to that cutie in the mirror.

Overalls.  Swoon.

And now, for her biggest accomplishment of the week....

Look at that little inchworm go!

We also painted her piggies for the first time this week.  Piggy paint in pink.  She likes to grab them and inspect the paint.

Homeschool Week In the Life {Jan 20-24}

Another week of school underneath our belts!
This handsome preschooler finished another book in his Rod & Staff ABCD workbook series!

He worked SO hard on this color by number.  His attention is short preschool-sized, so he did it over 3 days time.  Mommy was so impressed with his efforts!

Mia has been working more on blending, segmenting, and letter sounds.

I love teaching reading.

The big kids are reading Caddie Woodlawn and Old Yeller and we're coming round the corner of the Civil War in history.  

In math they are working on area, perimeter, symmetry, diameter, and Venn diagrams.  I'm still very thankful for Teaching Textbooks giving me a break on the subject that isn't my favorite to teach.
Our friends, Gale and Cor, gave us a desk for the math computer and it's perfect!  Maybe I'll paint it this spring - but you all know me.

Mia is beginning to learn adding in math.  Her brain gets it!

 

Natalee and Xavier are continuing their unit on Ecosystems in Science.  This week was a bit of a review on the water cycle (we introduced it last year) and a science experiment to replicate the cycle.  We needed sun for the experiment and didn't have any, so we put the bottles by the heat vent.

Dad worked nights this week, which is always a hard week for us.  

Towards the end of the week we got out the play-doh and the kids spent a couple hours playing together.

Playing sound-o together.  This is a game for Mia's reading curriculum, but everyone enjoys playing with her, and maybe mommy gives a chocolate to the winner (and the runners up).

I also started up piano lessons with Natalee, Xavier, and Mike this week. Mia insists on giving it a go, which I know sounds good, but is actually a little difficult when she's also learning to read right now.  We're going very slowly with her.  The rest had a very successful first lesson and are practicing 20 minutes every day. 

The children had a lot of snow play exercise, free reading, chess matches, imaginative play to round out a solid week of homeschooling.