Evan - 9-1/2

Happy Spring!! It's been awhile since our last update and Evan is now 9-1/2.

We have had so much fun these last 8 months! Here are some of the highlights:

School - Evan is doing homeschool again this year. We both enjoy the time we get to spend together and the flexibility that homeschooling provides. (**Bragging here - Evan is 2 full grade levels ahead in math and he it doing so great.) He is also excelling in reading and science. I love to see him learn, even if a few days are difficult.  We are still attending Learning Tree, and this year Evan is taking Lego, Art, Gym, and Little House. (I'm teaching Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Algebra II and really love it.)

Sports - Evan is still playing SAY soccer and enjoys that pace. He played in the fall and now in the spring and Doug assistant coached both his teams. He also played Upward basketball in the winter and also did archery for awhile in the fall.

Scouts - Evan is also still participating in Cub Scouts. We all had a great time at the fall campout in John Bryan State park. He did really well in at the Pinewood Derby in winter - placing 3rd place out of all the scouts. He even went to collect maple syrup this year. He has some great friends and it's been a wonderful group to be part of.

Friends - His two best buddies are still Tyler and Zachary. We are so lucky to have these great boys in his life. They all play so well together. Zachary lives right down the street, and as and added bonus Ainsley and Zachary's little sister are great friends as well. Tyler moved to Seattle in the fall, but the boys have kept the friendship going with weekly Skype dates and a fun Christmas visit.

Interests - This year, Evan joined a First Lego League team and is having fun learning and working with the group. His favorite item by far is his iPad - preferring that to even a movie or TV show. He also loved to connect online and play Minecraft with his friends. Thankfully, when he is unplugged, he still just likes to play - he loves riding bikes, shooting hoops, running around outside and making up games with his sister.

Fun Activities - We have done so many fun things this year. For his birthday, Evan had an archery tag birthday party, where the boys and their dads faced off!. We also attended 3 plays at the Cincinnati Children's Theater. Through our homeschooling group, Evan got to visit the Post Office Tour and National Underground Freedom center. We've spend several Friday afternoons rollerskating. In the winter, we were able to go snow tubing as will as skiing for the first time!

We are really enjoying watching Evan grow and the young man his is becoming. He has a wonderful heart and is an amazing brother to Ainsley. We love you Evan!!

Ainsley is 6

Ainsley Just celebrated her 6th birthday and we are really enjoying watching her grow up! She is smart and has a quick wit, and she keeps us smiling with all her singing and dancing!!

 Ainsley embarked on a new adventure this year - kindergarten!! She has a sweet teacher - Mrs. Grabeman - and a nice class. We have been impressed to see how much she has grown in ability to read this year. She has worked her way through the levels of "just right" books and will try books at home with lots of determination.

This year, Ainsley is taking dance once again with her cousin, Mya. The girls are learning ballet and tap and enjoy seeing each other each week. We are looking forward to their recital in May. Ainlsey still loves to tumble on her own. This winter she tested herself - doing 100 cartwheels in a row, doing headstands for more than a minute, and attempting handstands.

She also tried cheer-leading this year for Upward basketball. He favorite cheer was "A-W-E-S-O-M-E, Awesome, Awesome, To-ta-lly," She had fun learning the cheers and dance routines. I think she will participate again next year.

This year, Ainsley tried Daisy Girl Scouts with mom as one of her leaders. It is a nice group of girls - all 15 of them! Ainsley enjoys the crafts and activities, but I think a smaller group might be better for next year.

Her best friends are Angel and Mya. Now, when friends come over, they disappear for hours on end playing mom and kid, reenacting Frozen, playing school or vacation. It's wonderful to see the imagination. She also loves her two younger cousins - Leah and Abigail.

Ainsley even loves to play even by herself. He choice of playing changes - dress up, Barbies, and American girl dolls are a few of her favorites.She also loves to play with Evan, but their play is a bit different. :) They both love each other, and play well together almost all the time.

We are really enjoying the kids at their ages - we try to be intentional about doing lots of activities, adventures, and trips with the kids since they are so excited about seeing new things, and are just plan fun to be around. We have been lucky to make so many great memories - lots of trips to Kings Island, going to Disney World and Destin, visiting friends, Disney on Ice, rollerskating, skiing, snow tubing, theater, the museum and downtown, and new parks just to name a few,