I like that Regan has a friend with a drone and camera. We are able to get some really nice pictures of our city through this person :)
If you want to know what makes Hudson happy, it is playing a video game, holding a dog, and playing piano. Two out of three = one happy kid :)
Katherine has enjoyed working on her embroidery (a gift from a friend here)
Regan finally spend some of her birthday money ;) (from last December) She got a remote control/ APP controlled BB8. She is a huge Star Wars fan and she has been looking at this for a loooong time. I'm glad she doesn't buy impulsively :)
Katherine has started taking art classes again and is really enjoying it. Every week the teacher sends a picture of the kids in class and of their artwork when they are finished. They have to finish their drawing in one class.
This particular week, the teacher read them a story and the kids had to choose something that they heard in the story to illustrate. I loved this! Katherine said it was the old man going to the store in the town.
Hudson got and early birthday box! He asked if he could open his card and a present early. He only asked 152 times ;)
He's so happy that his birthday is next.
The dogs aren't sure what they think about the little bobble head dogs :)
so funny. Shadow tries to attack his mini me and Scout just looks pitiful as if he is wondering if he is being replaced.
This Life Skills class that Benjamin asked to take this year has him in the kitchen at least once a week! I could get used to this.
Deviled eggs by Benjamin
Spending her time finding new ways to play Jenga.
The girls walking down the street with Ayi. I'm glad I got some good pictures this day. She told us that she was moving (the next day) and wasn't coming back. Needless to say, their were lots of tears on both sides. Long story short...she needed to move because of a cultural expectation placed on her. She will be living close to her youngest son who is about 29-30.
This is one of the kids favorite places to go with Ayi.
Niu Rou La Mian (Beef Noodle Soup)
Sweet girls, all with completely different personalities :)
Ayi gave Hudson a globe for a birthday present before she left. Look at the difference in just 3 years!
It's really hard to believe!
Katherine's hamster had a hurt foot and she wanted to take it to the vet. The problem is there is only one vet in town that will see hamsters, so we took a taxi to see him. When we got there, we were told that he had just started a surgery and we would have to wait.
So, we went exploring. We found a little park. I told Katherine I didn't want to do a lot of stairs...
...but we kept coming to all these strange statues randomly placed in the park and she wanted to see what was next.
Yes, a rooster. WE eventually made it all the way to the top of the park, high above all the buildings.
On our way back down, we realized that we had no pictures showing that the master made the climb with us.
Katherine said the hamster likes this statue best.
We left the park and made it back to see the vet. After a short examination he gave us some medicine to rub on his foot for a week.
Grace was reading a story about cooking hot dogs on a campfire. She said that she had heard we like to roast marshmallows and that it sounded gross to her. So we roasted some over the stove. Guess who is a fan of roasted marshmallows now? :) All the other kids were lined up ready to roast one also.
Ayi came back to the house for one last goodbye. Her oldest son had come to help her move. Benjamin was the first to get a picture :)
Ayi and "her baby"
Regan and Ayi
Katherine and Ayi
My turn :)
She wanted to cook dinner of us. She had two girls in the kitchen shadowing her every move and writing down everything she did. I wish we had had more warning or had thought ahead to a time like this coming and the girls could have written down all of the recipes.
Ayi and her son, Jonathan and Lauren
Benjamin and I went to Hong Kong. It's a good thing we were "sitting next to each other" on the boat. Haha!
We arrived!
I went out to eat with some ladies. When you eat hot pot, the food is brought to the table and put on the shelves for you to cook when you are ready.
Not your typical Christmas tree! I actually thought at first...Wow! It's so early and already something Christmas is out....then I noticed it was not a full tree. Interesting.
One of the things I love about homeschool :) Balconies, sunshine, dogs, and books
Benjamin analyzing his science experiment
on the bus
Regan decided to draw a picture of her new baby cousin Grace. She did such a good job! This done by using colored pencils.
Look who has decided to wear Ayi's apron!
We sang Happy Birthday to Papaw over Skype :)
The kids were being so silly and playing dress up. I'm sure the read aloud story for the week encourages the unique styles...Goonie Bird Green. We alternate between the levels of read aloud...this was an easy one, but obviously was a hit.
The three girls are cookie "Ayi's food"
They worked together and did a great job...It just took a while ;)
The finished product...they were happy to eat it, but they said it wasn't as good as Ayi's food.
Naomi found a friend!
Regan's selfie when she was working on the picture
Jonathan got a surprise in the mail :) Indian seasoning!
a pretty sunset as we were walking down the sidewalk
the puppies
I was trying to get a picture of Hudson working on his homework, but he caught me. I thought he was doing a good job with his skeleton.
I took all the kids out for lunch. I guess when you order a hot dog you get...just a hot dog :)
This fruit salad looks so good!
I haven't heard Lauren play her gushing in awhile because her class is at the same time as Hudson's. He is doing better in his class and knows what's going on, so I told him that I was going to go listen to Lauren for a bit. She is doing so good! She really loves it!
I got back just in time to see the end of his class.
another picture of Katherine's artwork in progress
We went for a walk in a park.
Benjamin doesn't mind selfies with me anymore...I think because he's taller than me ;)
We found a frog!!! or should I say TWO!
Katherine wanted to spend some of her birthday money to play on this. You only get 8 minutes, but it's ok. I actually told them I would pay half and call four minutes of it P.E. ;)
Katherine's science experiment...she had to make blubber and test it out to see how it keeps a polar bear warm in the arctic.
Regan had a hard time with her P.E. class. She was supposed to do certain exercises, but the dog felt that meant he should lay under her and get in her way for each one :)
Yes, Katherine is still enjoying soccer. I actually just went and got her some new soccer shoes because the others were way too small!
