I already want to go back

Disney in September may be the number one reason we homeschool.   The pictures tell the tale.   

And now, especially for cousin Junie, here is the princess parade.  

The Jelly Jars

One of the best things to come out of our family trip to the beach was the conception of a family blog.   Bottom line, I think my sisters are pretty amazing and we wanted to collect all our stories and ideas in one place.   We also begged invited our dad to participate and we have big plans to get my mom involved as well.   We started posting and fell into a rhythm.   The posts can be shallow or deep but always relevant.   One of my favorite things is how the conversation frequently continues in the comment thread after a post.

This blog will remain my personal scrapbook while the jelly jars will have more depth.  Or less depth if we are talking about Juan Pablo.

thejellyjars.com

Clash

Kinsley and Hallie crack us up with their opposing interests.   In a nutshell, Kinsley is girly as can be and Hallie has a competitive edge.  

On the drive home from our small town parade this weekend the girls were talking about what they liked best.  
Kinsley:  "I would be the princesses (pageant girls riding in the convertibles) or the cheerleaders."
Hallie:  Not me.  I would be a karate kid."  

The short backstory:   Throughout the parade people passed out company advertisements, business cards, candy, toothbrushes and someone handed Hallie a coupon for a karate class.   After the parade she asked if we could sign her up because she saw it as a personal invitation and was completely honored to have been chosen.   (Since then she has asked no less than 200 times if we can sign her up)  

Later that day, both girls made Ben date cards which further prove my point.   Kinsley invited him to the mall and Hallie invited him to a game.  

And, as for Caroline, we really don't know how she is going to turn out.  

Grandparents and a Cousin!

The girls are beyond blessed to have grandparents who frequently bring along a Minnesota cousin when they visit.  This time we were thrilled to have Sawyer spend the weekend with us. 

Kinsley is picking up knitting and is hoping to be done with her scarf by the time fall rolls around.  She adorably took her yarn to bed with her and would work before she went to sleep.  As a non-knitter, I am completely impressed that she understands what to do--I have always been intimidated.   Grandma Jane was oozing with adoration as they bonded over this hobby.   

Goodbyes are super sad but super adorable.