Recorder

This was one of our girls' birthday gifts last night. Daddy specifically wanted to get her a recorder! This is what she has learned in just one day already......
Hot Cross Buns :)

Children's choir

Here are the kiddos singing today!
"I'm in love with Jesus"

I'm in love with Jesus

He's in love with me

I'll tell you why I love Him

Because He first loved me

He shed His blood on Calvary

For sinners just like me

For I'm in love with Jesus

and He's in love with me!

Oh glory, glory, glory

Oh glory to His name

Sometimes I disobey Him

but He loves me just the same

And when I get to heaven

His lovely face I'll see

For I'm in love with Jesus

and He's in love with me!

Drawing fun

After supper, we all gather round for art class (yep, mommy and daddy too). We are going through Mark Kistler's drawing course. We are having a ball (literally!) The first 3 lessons have been on spheres, shadowing, depth....etc. That's right! After 3 lessons this is what we are drawing!! So much fun....

here's mommy's.....

and daddy's..........

our big girl.........

and our boy........

Boxes are next.........wooooo we are excited :)

Greek

I've mentioned how we are learning Kione Greek (which is bible Greek, not the language in Greece today) and we are all really enjoying it! So far we have learned the first 9 letters and I'm surprised at how much our 3 yr old is catching on. We do our lessons as a family around the table, and he is right along there with us copying the letters on paper and repeating with us.
Here he is singing the first 9 letters....

alpha, beta, gamma, delta, eplison, zeta, eta, theta, iota....

Children's Choir

Here's a video of the Children's choir. Our daughter is in the back row, far right and our son is the front row, far left. Their cousin is in the front, far right.
It was such a sweet thing to watch. They all did a great job!
(Thanks to my sister-in-law for the video....my pregnant mind is so foggy I forgot our camera)

For your listening pleasure

I thought I'd share the musical talents of our youngest with you. He enjoys listening to big sister play the piano and he gets in on it too.

An update on the family.....hubby still needs his ears to pop and I think he will be pretty much back to his good 'ol self. Our daughter still has a low appetite but otherwise just a bad cough. Our son's eyes look much better. I've read that it is only contagious the first 2 days so I think he can start playing with the kids now. I received a handy trick about how to apply eyedrops from hubby's grandma so I'm thankful that at least goes pretty well. (There is still some crying involved!) He still has the cold but is starting to sleep much better at night. Our littlest one (at the piano) is doing a whole lot better. I think he is almost through with whatever this is! I am right in the thick of it right now. I have thankfully had no signs of a fever yet and pray that continues!! God is good....the medicines are working....and hopefully I'll be up and at 'em soon so we can celebrate a 4th birthday party!!!!

Music to my ears

I started teaching our daughter piano last year but it did not go well. She didn't have an interest in it and I was getting very frustrated. I had to get on her daily to sit down and practice. As I said in an earlier post, I am learning that if the kids do not pick up something right away just drop it!!! Come back later!!! I was disappointed to say the least since I want our kids to learn the piano but I knew I shouldn't push it right now. Maybe next year.
So....about a month ago or so our daughter sat down at the piano all on her own. She got out some old songs we had worked on last year and started playing. She wanted Mommy to teach her about the next song. I was excited but didn't want to get my hopes up yet. She has sat down everyday and practice without me saying a word. It is the first thing she does when she wakes up in the morning. Ok....so I'm getting excited now!! She wanted to get a book with hymns in it so she could play offeratory like her friend at church (who is one of my students). We went and bought her a book and she has sat down and learned every song on her own! It gives me such joy to see her sit and play and have the desire to learn! She continues to tell me that what she really wants to learn is the violin but I want piano as the foundation before tackling any other instrument.
Here is a sample of 2 songs she is working on right now for offeratory.

Whisper a Prayer in the morning

Praise Him, Praise Him all ye little children

Psalm 23

For school about 2 weeks ago, I gave our 6 year old an assignment to do on her own. I told her to go and memorize Psalm 23. She learned how to find it in the Bible, and she came to me on about 2 occassions asking for help sounding out words ('preparest' and 'anointest'). I was certainly surprised when she actually came to me with it memorized!! I haven't required alot of memorization yet, so this was her first real test. I am so proud of her!!!

Last weekend

While we were away for the wedding last weekend, the kids learned a new song from the Great Aunt Janie. I've never heard it before, and I'm going by how the kids sing it, so I hope all the words are right. It's a cute song :)

Here's a little bowl, see the fish

See how his fins go swish, swish, swish,
Tell me little fish who made you so,

Yes it was the God of heaven, this I know, this I know.

Here are a few pictures from the hotel one night.

Gymnastics...seriously!!

Our son is a little stuntman. This child will throw himself up in the air, flip, twirl, bounce.....in other words....scare me to death sometimes!!! I have always said he needs to be in gymnastics. The other day the kids were playing in the bedroom, giggling, having fun.... They wanted to show us something really badly. A new 'trick' they called it. Hubby went into the bedroom and started laughing his head off. "You have to come see this!!!!!!!!!" Oh dear I think to myself. What now. This little 3 year old was beaming from ear to ear, ready to show me his trick.

He climbs up on the bed, jumps up in the air and DOES A COMPLETE SOMERSAULT IN THE AIR before landing back on the bed.

aaaahhhhh....this child is going to give me a heart attack!!!

After firmly explaining I do NOT want to see this done ever again, I look at hubby and say gymnastics...seriously!!! We could have a 2022 Olympic champion growing up right here in our home :)

What were we thinking??

The after Christmas sales....when things go on sale! It works out great for our daughter since her birthday falls 2 weeks later. But then there are those things that you don't really need but you think "it's on sale"!!! Well, this was our purchase....call me crazy! It actually hasn't been too bad because we put a very important rule in place. You don't play it until Mommy or Daddy brings it out! Our rule has worked out pretty good so far except the minor incident this morning when I awoke to banging *grin*. We'll keep working on that rule right son?!! Here is our purchase and our son demonstrating his ability.


Actually it does have its purpose. Being a piano teacher, the biggest problem I encounter with my students is keeping the proper rhythm. I've been using our new purchase to teach our daughter rhythm during music class and we are really enjoying it. Here is a small excerpt from today.