Weekly Wind Down {Sledding Party, Evie's Hair Salon, School Update, Sharing Germs} January 21-27, 2024

We started the week with frigid wind chills but made the best of it  We were all able to go to church Sunday morning, and attempted some sledding with some of our small group on Sunday afternoon.

Catch Ev in the back left playing the princess card and getting a piggy back ride from Ellie up the hill.

The snow was so deep it made it a bit difficult and the wind got bitey eventually, but children are troopers and dads are heroes.

Evie took over Mr. Fross and Mr. Ullerich's fort and commandeered it to play house.

I didn't take many pictures but snapped this of our line of people walking back.  We were quite a bunch.  Ev is again playing princess and got Mr. Fross to pull her back to the van in his sled.

There were big snow mounds in the parking area and the kids played on those almost as much as the sledding hill.  I wondered why we subjected ourselves to the wind on the hill when the snow mounds were about as much fun.

Not all of the children - some were warming up in cars - but some of them!

Ellie tried to photo bomb Mike and I but my arm isn't long enough so she wasn't actually in our picture.  Ha.

Matching green furry hood coats.  Zayden was recovering from his bout with the virus and was in the "wrung out washrag" stage.  Fever free for several days, just rebuilding strength and energy.  He was headed to the van here to warm up and rest.

lil besties and tag along sister...

Playing king of the mountain.  The sky was lovely.

Back to school on Monday and time for an update! 

In preschool, Evalynn is mastering numbers 1-10--writing, recognizing, and counting with 1-to-1 correspondence.  We are also working on what comes before, between, and after in her numbers 1 through 10.  We're practicing rhyming, writing her name on the lines, and just started a book about planet Earth that discusses all the different kinds of places there are in the world (rain forests, deserts, arctics, plains, etc.)  This week we are dipping our toe into letters/sounds, doing one at a time.  We read our Mr. Roger's poems and she watches an episode of Mr. Rogers most days.  We also do calendar together and do some cutting and gluing most days.  There are some days Evalynn doesn't want to do school at all, and some where she is ready the minute she hits the floor so we keep it flexible and at her pace.

Evalynn really loves rich literature.  She has been enjoying the Madeline Treasury, Little House Picture Book Treasury, Percy the Park Keeper, TumTum and Nutmeg, and books by Shirley Hughes.

The other children are in week 23 of 36 in their language arts, history, Bible, math, and reading.  The are about the same with their Science, so we are well on a good schedule to be able to close our formal books by mid spring.  We are reading beautiful books, having good discussions, and enjoying our days (usually) for the most part.  Natalee, Xavier, and I just got done reading two books set in Hungary, with the second taking us into World War 1.  Mia and Zayden just finished A Door in the Wall for their read aloud, which was not a favorite, but they have been enjoying their readers a lot!

Our morning time has greatly dwindled which is a disappointment to me probably the most, but we are reading through the Lithos Little Pilgrim's Progress picture books together and are on book 2.  Bible trivia is also a favorite for morning time, and our Cultured Donut art book when we make time to do it.

Monday started a warm up in Iowa.  I paid a couple kids to work on clearing the back cement that had inches of icy slush on it, so that we would have a dry/mud free place to get some fresh air as the thaw continues.

The Beelers have fought viruses all month long and this week was not exempt, with Xavier taking a turn.  I'm ready to put the thermometer away, that's for sure.

I made cheeseburger soup but also a pot of chicken noodle for the sickie and some children enjoyed dual bowls.

After weeks of practices canceled for weather, Zayden was glad to be back at the Y for basketball.

While Zayden was at basketball I wanted to sit down with my book.  Evalynn asked to do my hair and I agreed.  She would put in a few clips then take a picture.  Quite a progression.

But I got to read for 45 minutes and she's actually quite gentle.  Plus all that fine motor practice for her, right?

Mike counted 90 clips when he took them out later.

Wednesday...

We went to Awana/Youth Group Wednesday night.

Thursday....the Yoto gets such a workout all week long.  

Stories in the morning...

stories at lunch...

Natalee had hippotherapy and an online appointment Thursday.

Friday...

We spent some time doing science labs with groups, then back home to finish our own schooling.  I had everyone lay down for quiet/rest time and some slept.  While the temps have been warmer there has been no sunshine - coupled with varying stages of recovering from a virus and many welcomed the rest.

The kids finished their third puzzle of the year.

We've been trying to get outside in the warmer weather all week.

The big kids went to swim practice and we had early bedtimes since Saturday brought an early and busy day with the final swim meet.

Final Swim Meet!

The last Saturday in January brought our final swim meet of the year.  I'm so pleased with how hard all three of our swimmers worked and their gains, both measurable and unmeasurable.  

I worked a stopwatch this meet so Mike did some videography when he got there.  We didn't catch all the events the children were in, but many of them, and regardless of what was caught on film, they did a great job.  

Xavier was still building stamina back up after his turn with the virus, so he chose to scratch one event to be a better asset to his relay team and rest a bit for his next individual race.

He swam two individual races and two group relays. 

Because my children ask, I take the time to figure their new personal bests and how much time they've dropped on races.  Xavier dropped 2.9 seconds on his 50 breast from the beginning of the year.  This was actually an event he completed in the mock meet, then disqualified in at the first formal meet, and  spent the next several weeks refining at practice, so I was so happy to watch him complete it successfully.  Xavier also dropped 2.9 seconds in his 50 backstroke.  He very much wanted to try the 200 individual medley but we ended up changing it when we realized his stamina and energy had taken a hit.  Next year will bring new opportunities and I think Xabe had a very successful first season of swim and enjoyed it.

Ameliya tried two new events at this last meet, including two 100s! 

She has attempted the 100 individual medley at the last 2 meets and gotten disqualified both times.  She worked so hard at taking everything her coaches told her to heart and refining her strokes/kicks and she was successful!  This is one race I actually wish we would have caught on camera because I was so tickled for Mia's success!  She got a great time and was overjoyed!

Ameliya also swam the 100 freestyle instead of the 50 and did a fantastic job.  Since both of those races were first times for her they will be her personal bests to end the season. 

In her 50 back, she did not lose time this race, and that's okay.  She swam a good meet and had a wonderful first season!

Natalee also did something new for this last meet.  She signed herself up for a 200 individual medley!  An IM is when you swim each of the four strokes (so in a 200 IM a 50 butterfly, 50 backstroke, 50 breast, then 50 freestyle).  

Natalee's goal for this IM was to finish and finish she did!  She used her grit and put it in to every ounce of that race and left nothing in question.  Not only that, but Natalee has not had many team relays this year, so she also signed herself up for a 200 freestyle thinking she wouldn't have a relay.  Then she ended up on 2 relay races for the day. 😉 She was on the docket a ton and did a great job.  We are so thankful for the guidance and grace Natalee has offered her siblings on their first swim season and have really enjoyed watching her again this year.  The growth of her stamina and endurance has been truly phenomenal!  Natalee dropped another second from her 50 breast, and a whopping 5.3 seconds from her 200 free.

Thank you to Miss Allesha for taking and sharing photos again from this meet.  As a bonus, here's a rare photo titled "parents' day off: there are no days off" in which we run stopwatches for our kids' events because without our children's activities what would we do with our Saturdays??

And secretly, we love every second.

Bringing in the New Year {So Much Snow, Sickness, Sweet Moments} January 1-20, 2024

We started 2024 by staying up until midnight like the party animals we are aren't.  All of us made it, even Evalynn, but she didn't make it the five minutes to home.

We spent a couple of weeks in January buried in snow, enduring arctic temperatures (like -38 degrees!), and making the best of it.  The nice thing was, while public schools were canceled, we just kept on keeping on.

Trying to sled at the university.  The snow was so deep it was almost difficult to sled!

But it was gorgeous!

Mike even had some delayed starts and a couple of snow days himself, which rarely happens.

Before she went out...

After...

Natalee's snowman.

It snowed and snowed and snowed...

Post snow play face cream.

The children also welcome hot chocolate, homemade waffles, and warm showers after some of their snow playdays.

While the snow was falling, and then melting, the children took turns passing around a virus.

{steam tent to clear the sinuses}

I shampooed the rug.  Then the furniture.  Once you start you can't stop.  But that water....sooooo satisfying.

There were also a lot of happy moments in spite of the sickness - playing, schooling, enjoying the days.

Shacket, pearls, scrunchie, phone....she is fashion.

I was afraid she was sick, but she wasn't - just a late nap!

lil mama

Evie learned to snap!

Matchbox mice...

Fairy bread for breakfast...

I love her hair braided and pulled back out of her face...

post braid "curls"

The arctic temps, sickness, and piles of snow brought canceled plans.  We had to postpone Beeler Christmas and the youngest three and I stayed home from church with a couple not feeling well.  Then the next week another stayed home.....and thus the cycle.

But at home church streaming and this little cutie worshipping with her babies was really so sweet.  Zayden is sleeping on the love seat.

Papa stopped by with frosties and fries!

And the yoto....books and music all day everyday.

That pretty well brings us to the last full week of January.