Important

Family vacation, starting back to daycare, starting school with a preschooler and kindergartener...

it's safe to say I feel busy!

I thought I would share something different, and fun, that I had Ava do today.

She enjoys running the camera, so I handed it over and asked her to take pictures of things that are important to her.

Great insight into the mind of a (almost) 5-year-old.

sleeping bags (still packed after a weekend at grandpa's)

mommy (daddy wasn't actually home)

olivia (still working on her snack)

probably one of my new favorites:

of course her bear. formerly known as mr. sanders, now called "isabella"

(there were about 6 of these)

lucy (playing with her sensory bin of the day.)

big big bear. (they named him)

lucy with her own isabella. the twin to ava's bear.

stuffed puppy without a name. (her other puppy is named saliva.)

again, another favorite. 

and finally, lucy. (the doll she did all on her own...)

This turned into a good perspective piece for me, and I hope you enjoyed it as well.

Stickin' our Toe in...

 This is our first year of official schooling.

It qualifies as preschool for both girls (Ava isn't yet 4), but they are learning a lot!

We read through Genesis 1, learning about Creation. I made coloring pages for each day; they were a big hit, and helped solidify learning what God made.

We worked through pattern review:

When Riley is here, he joins right in. 

Shapes, animals, colors, numbers, alphabet recognition. 

Good stuff.

Ava is learning to write letters.

(Sometimes she gets distracted and draws pies, ice cream, and makes "lists". Super cute, I know!)

(This picture looks sideways to me, but loaded the right direction. I'm not seeing an instant fix, so please be so kind as to tilt your head to the right. Thanks.)

These are uppercase letters (although Ava now can write through P),

 and these are lowercase letters.

 Then she signed her work:

She is also learning simple +1 addition and basic phonics. And the best part: When I teach Ava, Lucy wants to learn it too. 2/1 education, right? :-)

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I love teaching my children. After all, I birthed them, I love them the very best that a momma can, I have invested in them; why would I separate education from that?

These are the best years. These are the short years. 

I don't want to waste them.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.