Sunday, August 26, 2012

pictures of the kids


I always take pictures every year on the kids birthdays. So, today we finally took their pictures. We went downtown to take them. They turned out sooo good, I love them all. I had such a hard time deciding which ones to post, so that is why there are so many of them. 

Malika is 5 and Justus and Kaylee are 3. Seth turns 1 next month, so I will be taking his one year pictures then. 

Recently we've started Kindergarten with Malika. We are homeschooling and are using the Sonlight curriculum. We love it. She is also learning to read using All About Reading. We have only been doing it for about a week, but she is picking it up very quickly.

Justus and Kaylee are learning along with Malika, but we aren't doing any formal curriculum with them. They of course listen to the books and learn the memory verse and sit with us when we are doing workbook pages. I make stuff up for Justus to cut and color, he loves it and calls it his school stuff. 

Kaylee is learning her colors. At least, I'm hoping she is learning them. We are going over them often and I hope she truly is picking them up. I've just started teaching her the signs for all of them. She is learning more sounds, still no "real" words. I do think she is trying to talk though. She is very smart though and understands all that we say to her. The other day she pooped at nap time. When I got her out of her bed I frowned and said "we don't poopy in our bed, that is yucky", after I cleaned her up, I was talking to her about it. I asked her where we go poopy, she signed "potty". I was surprised, we have gone over this many times and I never got a response before. Then, I asked her if we go poopy in our bed, she shook her head no!! I love it when she responds to me. Even though she isn't talking, I know she is so smart and I think she thinks very normally, so I am trying to add new signs in more often so she will be able to communicate better. I think we are well past 50 signs now that she knows and she uses most of them. I do still try to get her to say words. This is how it usually goes: 
she signs banana. Ok, you can have a banana if you say it.
Me: say ba
her: ba
Me: say na-nah
her: tah
me: no, say naah-nah
her: tah
me:nah-nah-nah-nah-nah (if I keep repeating it, she finally gets it)
her: (finallly)nah-nah
me:yay(clapping), now say ba
her: ba
me:na-nah
her: tah

Oh well, it is a start. I think she will get it one day. 


Malika got a new bike for her birthday. She loves it so much. The first couple days she rode it in the house. Now, every single day she begs to go out to ride it. Yesterday, we all went on a bike ride around the block, she was so happy she couldn't stop smiling. Justus has wanted a bike now too, we told him maybe next year for his birthday (he has a tricycle). Yesterday, we went to my parents house and they gave him a bike they got at a yard sale. He loves that thing. He keeps calling it his new bike. I love how kids don't see things for how much they cost or what they look like. 

Allright, allright, I'll stop writing. Here are the pictures. 





 Boys are great, so full of energy. Justus definitely keeps us on our toes.


 I love, love, love this picture of Kaylee. She is so beautiful.




 I think men carrying babies are so handsome. Don't you agree? 








I can't believe she is 5! I remember bringing her home from the hospital like it was yesterday. 









 And one of my bugaboo, couldn't leave him out :)