Chicka chicka boom boom..hey batter batter!

This one goes out to grandpa Kevin!

Last month, Gemma started saying,"hey batter batter!" I suspect there was something at preschool with this phrase as I can't imagine she heard it at home (nothing wrong with it- just not something we talk about with any frequency at home). The last time my parents were in town, my dad found this very entertaining.

She has become obsessed with the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom video.

Here is her mash up of the chicka chicka boom boom song and hey batter batter.

Amelia's first beam routine

Amelia and William started gymnastics last week. Amelia has been begging and begging for gymnastics for almost an entire year. Gymnastics is expensive. Very expensive, so it has been a no for Amelia. However, I have picked up a few hours at work recently. Enough to cover some gymnastics for both kiddos for a short session until we figure out if they like it or not.

Amelia adored everything. She loved her teacher and all the skills they were working on. There is quite a bit of overlap with ballet and gymnastic skills technique. The rest she is picking up quickly. She cannot wait to go back.

This video is of Amelia's beam routine. I am so proud of her! This was her first night with beam instruction. Prior to this video, she had about 15 minutes of instruction time with a little practice. The rest of the group has a showcase performance next week. Amelia won't be participating in the showcase, but she does very well with the routine for so little practice and instruction time.

William was very apprehensive about the class. His biggest concern was having to wear a something pink or having to wear a leotard. After some reassurance, he agreed to try it. Once only though.

He came out dripping wet. He worked so hard during his hour long class. He has a male instructor and is in a class of only boys. They work on the skills for male gymnasts.
William is part monkey, so the rings, bars and climbing stuff comes naturally for him. He did very well. He adored the trampoline exercises and the part where he got to jump into the foam pit. When he came out, he was sweaty from working so hard with a huge smile on his face. He has agreed to keep going for the rest of this month.

I'm trying to figure out how to add piano lessons to the mix next fall as well...more reworking of the budget to stretch it a little further is in the works!

It's that time of year again!

The biggest problem? Amelia has been assigned the same teacher as William has last year. I think she appreciated her gift last year, but I can't think of anyone who would need 2 picnic blankets! What to do now?

The equator

We were driving in the van. The van has a compass and temperature gauge built into the windshield, which prompts occasional discussions.

I am guessing Amelia's class has been talking about map skills and compasses as she has been especially interested recently.

This particular time, Amelia was noticing the temperature and the direction we were going. We drove to the SE and then turned around the corner, which put us driving south.

We drove one block when Amelia made this observation:

"Mom! I don't understand it! When we left home, the temperature was 68 degrees. Then we drove south, which means we are getting closer to the equator. Why didn't the temperature increase???? I know when you get closer to the equator, the temperature should increase."

We then had a discussion about how big the earth was and the relative distance to the equator.

Normal stuff for a 6 year old, right.

Sent from my iPhone

Mother's Day

What a day!

This time of year is so crazy! There is so much to be done to wrap up the school year and get the summer organized! The last two weeks have been a blur!

This morning, John let me sleep in while he made breakfast with the kids. We enjoyed blueberry muffins and scrambled eggs very much!

Then, we had a few gifts to open and took a few pictures still in our pjs.

I got to go for a run- it was way too humid to be enjoyable, but it is nice to take the opportunity when it presents itself. William asked to run the last mile with me- nothing like those energetic 8 year old legs to spur you on for the last mile!

I snagged a shower and a nap this afternoon.

John made dinner - we had steaks on the grill, goat cheese (not on the grill) and molasses cake for dessert. It was a very, very nice day!

Race end

At the end of the race, here was medals, a sibling photo opportunity and a group shot! So proud of these two!

Ready, set, go!

Both William and Amelia joined the school running club this year. This is William's third year running. At the end of the year, the club has a 1 mile run to celebrate the completion of the year. Here are the big kids running their final run!

Of source, when Gemma saw the big kids running, she immediately wanted to be part of it! Since it was a small affair, the organizers said it would be okay if Gemma ran too! I was so impressed! Gemma ran a total of 2 laps, which equals out to 2/7 of a mile! Go Gemma!

We were also super impressed with the big kids. They ran the WHOLE THING! Both of them! We are so proud! Neither kid walked even a portion of their mile! Wow!