those little roommates

It's that time of year again - time to celebrate the roommates!  Our neighbors, who are fascinated by our family in just about every way, often ask "Where do they all sleep?"  And I answer, "Well, it's pretty easy really.  We've got a room full of boys and their sisters right down the hall!"

We were blessed with the opportunity to do some work on this apartment before we moved in.  We made two big changes - we removed a wall in the kitchen and replaced it with a bar/countertop, and we axed the master walk-in closet in favor of adding significant floor space to the boys bedroom.  This left us with three large bedrooms (and one smaller guest room).

And the boys room is just perfect for them.  The big boys in the bunks, little brother on the bed beside.  And plenty of room left over for book shelves and a dresser and toys and their little table/chairs and it's just a sweet sweet spot for these three!

They do a lot of living and a lot of loving inside these four walls.  Grateful grateful for warm beds to sleep in, warm relationships to grow in, warm little bodies to tuck in at night.

And my girls, the original roommates, and the reason we celebrate Roommate Anniversary at all!  It was EIGHT years ago this November that Lydia moved in with her big sister.  Lydia was an infant (born that August) and Julianna was eagerly anticipating her second birthday.  At different times they've shared with Isaac, and then later Luke moved into their room for a stretch.  But the two sisters are always together.

Both of them posed their photos this year - Julianna wanted this shot of her reading.

This day, by the way, is the only day of the entire year that they make their beds!  ha!  I might be exaggerating but only by about three days!  The bed-making issue falls into the "I have bigger fish to fry" category for this mama, and if they can just please put their dirty laundry in the basket then we have cause to celebrate!

It's good to be a sister - they are quite different, but really dear friends.

And back down the hall, these little brothers prevailed upon Isaac for some book-reading.  He's often buried in a book of his own and none too eager to oblige, but he must have been feeling the roommate vibe this night because they had him cornered.

[We celebrated with special dessert Tuesday night and then bedtime photos and fell asleep eager to have a bit more fun together in the morning but the whole day turned hard when I woke to the devastating news that our dear friends in the States lost their baby-in-the-womb at 38 weeks.  This Roommate Anniversary will go down in K family history as the "one where mama was so very sad".  And it's still hard for me to even blog this silly little holiday when our hearts are broken, with them and for them.]

team homeschool [soccer]

This year we are playing homeschool soccer again.  And this year our Daddy is one of the coaches ;)

Coach Matt is LOVING his role, and Isaac is LOVING that he made the team age cutoff (last year was a sad season for my then-5-year-old).

[In the picture above you can glimpse Isaac on the far left and Lydia near the goal.  Julianna is at the far end of the field, in a yellow sweatshirt.  Matt and his co-coach John on the right sideline.  There are also two newly minted assistant coaches to help on the day of the tournament.]

It's quite the eclectic team of 6-10 year olds... and this year we plan to enter two teams in the tournament since we had so many interested kids.

It's a fun group of kids, and Matt will be the first to admit that he's having more fun that any of them!   He really likes a whistle :)

Tournament is in two weeks, so we're getting ready!

his commute

Our fearless leader, headed to work.

Matt bikes everywhere, all the time.  If he's not out of town, he's on his bike.  It's the ideal way to get around a congested city and most of his rides are fairly short.

No wonder our kiddos are growing up to love bikes ;)

Also, I wanted these pictures.  I say goodbye to him most mornings as he pushes his bike out the door (he keeps it on our entry porch overnight).  Such a common scene, but one I never think to photograph.

science today

One thing I love about homeschool is that there really is some great curriculum - I enjoy teaching and the kids enjoy learning.  This year our science is Apologia Astronomy and it is fantastic.  [No one is surprised since we did Apologia Swimming Creatures last year and it was easily one of the highlights of our year.]

So I often major on the reading and minor on the activities but with this book I can really easily pull together some fun stuff.  So thankful because my 'free time' to work on creating science projects is just about NADA.

Today we did this radar mapping activity that was a big hit.  I 'hid' some objects in a box and taped paper towels to create a box lid.  I used a marker to draw and number a grid on the paper towels.. and printed a matching grid for each kid.  Then I colored a bamboo skewer so that every inch or so was a different color.  [This took about twenty minutes.  Perfect.]

This morning we discussed how radar works, and why radar is necessary for mapping the surface of Venus (thick cloud cover, if you didn't know).  We then used our skewer as a simulated radar signal and poked the skewer through the paper towel (the cloud cover) until we 'hit' something in the bottom of the box (the surface of Venus), and then recorded the height-marking color on the skewer.

We had almost 100 squares on our grid so skewer-poking opportunities abounded :)

And then when the entire box had been "mapped", we tore off the paper towel and checked our accuracy.  Our mountains and valleys were..... a roll of toilet paper, a pair of socks, an upside down bowl and a medicine bottle.

Yay for at home science, and easy memorable activities, and our surprise at finding a pair of Daddy's socks in the bottom of the box ("Does Daddy know that you have his socks in here?!?!")

now in uniform

Big day for the first graders.  School uniforms are here ;)

I'm not sure how long we will stay engaged in the local school system (on optimistic days I think we can send our kids forever... on harder days I'm ready to pull all five kids out of public school RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE!)

But if we stick it out much longer, I will have a suitcase full of just school uniforms!  I'm thankful the summer uniforms are holding up well and the winter uniforms are versatile, and warm, and washable!

With our summer temps holding out late into October the weather was actually too warm to wear the winter gear!  But by the end of last week I got a picture of the big three and their walk-to-school buddy, now in uniform.

Looking good, gang!

school times three

We've got all kinds of little mini-schools running under the big home school heading.

Isaac, working with his tutor on character recognition.  Isaac's transition into local school first grade has been almost picture perfect.  Unfair advantage that I learned a lot of first-grade-mama lessons the hard way when his big sisters went through this transition three years ago :)  He's ticking right along, and between his time at school and his tutor sessions at home (half an hour, two mornings a week) he's making quick progress!

Later this morning (after tutor, and when the other nitty gritty was finished) we got out our baking soda and vinegar volcano.  Perfect hands on fun since our Astronomy chapter is on Venus.  Our red food coloring made for pink lava...

My afternoon home school-ers!

We read piles and piles and piles of books.  Homeschooling at it's best, right?  I know time is passing quickly, and all too soon they will be holding pencils and erasing mistakes and watching baking soda volcanoes erupt.  In the meantime, I'm gonna treasure these afternoons of warm little boy bodies tucked up next to mine, listening to me read Digging-est Dog.  Again.

another perfect bike ride day

It's unseasonably warm, and the sky is unusually blue.  Perfect day for a bike ride.

We cannot resist a pit stop on this bridge to climb the arches.

One word: PROUD
[loves to be like the big kids.]

Lydia made a new friend this weekend, excited for her to have a buddy of her own - and she lives walking distance from us! yay!

Is he the longest 4 year old ever?  John Paul is so tall.  He's definitely put more distance between him and Luke this summer and he probably weighs more than Isaac.  Who would have ever imagined that our adopted Asian son would end up being the largest kiddo in the clan?!?!  Of course we are still more than a decade from seeing where everyone ends up, but I won't be surprised if John Paul is the tallest.  Not your standard Asian guy, that's for sure.

and somehow we missed Julianna, but if you are desperate you can catch a little glance at her in the bottom left corner of Luke's photo :)

Monday mornings aren't always my forte, I'm counting on a good night's sleep to help the hours roll smoother.

We continue to hear the noise of concrete drilling from upstairs.  Wednesday we abandoned ship ..... packed up and headed to the coffee shop across the street from our complex.  I brought our Story of the World and current read-aloud (Detectives in Togas).  The big three brought something creative to work on while they listened. 

Could have been worse... but I'll be glad when the workers are done with the drills.  

And at lunch Isaac got the giggles, an orange almost as big as his head!  Orange season is upon us, and we will eat them until we cannot eat another.  Fruit pickings are a bit slim in the winter months, but I do enjoy the cheap apples (and pressure-cooker pots full of warm applesauce!)

Then today we participated in a cross country meet as part of Team HomeSchool.  This year all three big kids are old enough to run!  Isaac ran quite well.  His favorite part was "crossing the finish line"! 

It was mostly a success for the family but Lydia got really far behind right at the start and quit about four minutes in which was a bad move for many reasons especially because if she had stuck it out she would have passed the people who stopped to walk (they are 8 year olds! pacing is not a strength!  they darted off the starting line like wolves were chasing them and sweet Lydia got left in the dust).

Anyways, she was so teary and cuddly and sad and disappointed and in the end learned a pretty huge lesson.  She's excited to race again next month and I'm thankful she has another opportunity to build some confidence.  

And then Julianna.  Only two homeschool girls in her age group and she was pretty intimidated by the big 5th graders at the starting line but she ended up placing pretty well and she's motivated to keep it up.  

Here she is laughing at the ridiculousness from the 4th/5th grade home school boys on the starting line.  

It was a full afternoon and I only took about nine pictures and in the elevator coming up from the parking garage realized I missed a group picture of the five in their Team HomeSchool gear.  

..... because..... cuteness.  

our day (five pictures)

We had several sweet guests in our home this weekend and I loved it (of course!  I love a house full of kids - 8 for breakfast on Sunday!)

But, found out this morning that one of our guests is in a classroom with head lice outbreak and I'm going the extra mile to try to keep us off the victims list.  Combed through the girls hair, twice.  Washing all the bedding from two bedrooms (we had five little girls here one night... in the girls room and the guest room) and I'll be doing more combing and more laundry tomorrow (the washer and dryer are still running now, at 9pm- argh!)

And our upstairs neighbors are renovating and preparing to move in which means lots of concrete drills.  If you have never heard this noise then I simply cannot explain it.  I can't think of anything to compare it to.  Our home is essentially unlivable (tricky, since we homeschool, and I'm trying to run a zillion loads of laundry).  The girls retreated outdoors with camp chairs to do some reading (and we axed most of our school).  [thank you Jesus it was a gorgeous day - perfect for outdoor reading, and the boys and I avoided home all afternoon while the big kids were at Chinese school and I'm hoping tomorrow will be better!]

The workers upstairs have to abide by the apartment complex 'noise free' hours - they can't start before 8 am, must be finished by 6pm, and must take a 2-hour break at noon.  We took advantage of the relative calm after lunch and made salt dough models of planet Mercury.  [Luke and JP participate by default, lucky little home school sibs!]

It's been a long day, buddy.  No rest for the weary around here.  Outside at 5pm, still avoiding our house :)

This girl has good ideas, huh?  Perfect way to end a day.

And we will start a new one tomorrow!

the new shoe boys

Every time I successfully manage a shoe shopping trip I feel a bit like, well ......... I need a prize.  Or trophy? Or medal? Or maybe just a quick congratulatory phone call from some famous head of state.

Ha!   In all seriousness, we do a bit of crazy at the sports store.  But we also leave with new shoes, and it's mucho happiness for the boys.

This fall the shoe theme is BLUE.  Did you notice?

[The girls were with us too, and a friend of theirs. But I just got a pic of the new shoe boys.]

hiking the valley (destination: waterfall)

Matt is 100% not afraid to load the van full of children, food and water and head out into the great unknown.  He doesn't care if he's never been before, if he doesn't have any idea what the roads are like, if he has only a wild guess of how long it will take him to get there and if he has only a vague idea of where 'there' is actually located.  

I love it.  Except for the times that I hate it :)  ha!  Sometimes I think "Matt, you are crazy."  Mostly I think, "Matt, you are just about a perfect fit for this crazy life we live."  

And I do have to give it to him.  Much of the time his adventure finding turns out to be a very nice affair.  {and then there are the few times that I wonder "how did we get ourselves into this situation??!??!"}

Monday was another big win for Matt.  

He and the kids left early in the morning and two hours later?  This.

Big win.

You'll have a difficult time finding a tougher group of boys :)

Matt said these three girls loved scampering ahead and practicing their bouldering skills.  And they found the waterfall too :)

I later asked, "Did Luke like hiking?"
Matt's answer:  "Luke likes rock throwing.  He sees hiking as a means to an end, and that end is more rock throwing.  So yes, I guess you could say he likes hiking, but if there were no rocks, there would be no liking of the hiking."

And apparently he didn't make it the entire way on his own two feet either!

Lunch break pit stop.  Oh how we love doing life with these families!

Father. Son. Waterfall.

The team 4.5 miles later, back down at the bottom.  Wet shoes, muddy pants, peanut butter smeared faces and ready to fall asleep on the drive home :)

We will be back at this valley and hiking to this waterfall again.  And next time I'll go with them!

the weekend

Friday: blue skies, mild temps, sunshine everywhere!  We walked down to the river and the boys were entranced by this man and his dog.  My Granddaddy had a dog like this, the most amazing frisbee-catching dog you ever saw!  This dog wasn't nearly as good as Muggs, but it was still fun to watch him catch the frisbee.  [the pic is perfectly mis-timed so it's hard to see pink frisbee flying past John Paul's orange helmet!]

Saturday morning I had a couple of extra boys in the house :)  the big kids were at soccer practice and these little guys kept me entertained.

That afternoon I went for a run (trying to keep up a little bit and run every Saturday.... my goal is to be in good enough running shape that I can always crank out a 5k, so I'm hoping running once a week will keep me there.  Maybe one day I'll have the time again to train for something longer, but for now I'l call this good.)

The kids were all playing outside and Matt had organized a little soccer game action on the basketball courts, so I walked up to the market and picked out a veggie to go with dinner.  I'm so thankful for this market, just a block from our house!

The kids and some neighborhood friends ... big school holiday here so the older kids (like elementary age) tend to multiply!  Usually they are so busy with their studies that we rarely see them outdoors, but these past few days have been different.  

Matt is taking the kids a few hours out of town tomorrow for a hike.  The camping plans got shelved when we couldn't find a suitable location - I wish that wasn't the case, but there is just so little free green space.... camping is challenging.  argh.  This hiking spot might turn out to be camping potential though, so Matt and two buddies are loading up the kids and heading out!  After much swaying this way and that I decided to stay home.  I'll miss out on a good chance to get out of the city, but the day at home alone was just too tempting.

it's the last day of September

The leaves are changing color

and we might be going a little bit crazy!

(at breakfast)

I cannot believe tomorrow is October.

Matt's Grandma Ruth died last week.  It was expected, and blessed, and we rejoice that she is with Jesus.  But it is hard to be away from family during times like this.  The weddings, the funerals, the new babies, the birthdays, the holidays.... they all pile up and then you realize that after 15 years overseas ..... it can feel like you've missed it all.

But we haven't.  For now our hearts live on both sides of the globe, and no matter where we are we won't be missing it "all".  This week it just feels like a lot of missing the America side of the ocean.

(our last visit with Grandma Ruth, May 2014.)

biking the weekend

These weekend bike rides are becoming a habit :)  I sometimes can't believe that we are 'old enough' for outings like this!  It wasn't that long ago that a family bike ride involved multiple sets of training wheels and was slow enough that I could walk alongside pushing Luke (or at times, Luke and JP!) in the stroller.

The biggest news of the past three months is that John Paul (after months of ignoring his bike)  hopped on, decided he really liked it, and took off riding, never looking back.  He got good, fast.  And he's such a grown-up little man these days, seeming more like a 5 year old than 4 (and he is only three months from his 5th birthday!).  He's definitely ready for rides like this - not just physically, but maturity wise too.

So he's on his own bike, and Luke graduated to Matt's, and I'm riding solo.  We have a 7 mile loop that we really enjoy, only a few road crossings and 95% of it is greenway riding.  It's perfect - Isaac can race to the front, John Paul can bring up the rear, Matt and I even get in some nice conversation riding side by side, and there's space for everyone to enjoy the ride in their own way.

Our 7 mile loop skirts right along the edge of the river and crosses 4 different bridges!

Thankful for this greenway that passes our apartment complex, for rivers to ride along, and for healthy bodies to do it.  Oh, and for a Daddy who is faithfully training up a generation of bike lovers :)