Kids' Stuff

We've really enjoyed the Joy School program - both with Connor when he was younger, and with Elise now.  I usually forget to take pictures when it's at our house, but this year I've been a little better.  First, I have to show off the Joy School house I took waaaay too much time making.  It's a little laminated house with a picture window for each kid.  When they come in to Joy School they "open" their window to show they're present that day.
    

   
Connor is at school on Wednesdays, but on Fridays when we have Joy School at our place, he gets to participate (which he loves, despite it being geared for four-year-olds.)  Here they are making a "group picture" on the wall with construction paper.  Little Charlie wasn't present because he broke his femur a few days previous and was laid up at home in a full body cast.  We visited the poor thing later that day.
    

  

  

    
I think I've mentioned that Connor's math curriculum has a lot of hands-on stuff.  Anyway, that usually means pictures, so here are some more.
    

Boy Genius

   
Some of our best friends.  That swing is definitely the coolest part of our front yard, though it's a source of constant contention since there's only one.  Connor (striped shirt) is in the background of the second picture, in time-out.  He was bouncing big rocks off the jogger trampoline (unintentionally) in the direction of his friends.
   

  

   
These are some of Connor's recent photos.  He really isn't allowed to touch our camera, but he forgets that rule frequently.
   

  

  

  
Elise has been in speech therapy for about five months.  Everybody we know has noticed how much improvement she has made.  I'd say that over 95% of what she says is understandable now, up from about 50% when we started.  She absolutely loves her therapist, Ms. Kathleen (we all do, really.)  The other kids and I used to sit in on sessions at the beginning, but it became more of a distraction than a help, so now we do schoolwork in the car while we wait.  Elise gets to play games, color, and eat lollipops, so she's a big fan of the whole deal.  Honestly, I don't think she really needs the therapy anymore, but since she likes it so much, we'll let insurance pick it up for a few more months.
   

  

   
And Evan is just Mister Happy Boy.  He loves crawling speedily around the house, spinning in his bounce-bounce, pulling Mama's hair (and eating it), and trying to find ways to either make a mess or hurt himself.  As Elise says, "He's the cutest pie I ever seen!"