2015-2016 School Year

We have started school! We actually started last week. I mapped out the year and decided to take a bunch of two and three week breaks throughout so that means starting school in July. We did this last year too and finished in the middle of May.

The girls had a seven week summer break, two summer camps, and lots of neighborhood playtime so off to school they go! Our first break for this school year - Wednesday! We will take a week off to go to La Quinta (Dan has not even seen the new house yet) and attend Joey's thirtieth birthday!

Mia is in First Grade and her schedule is as follows:

Prayer and Pledge
Memorization
Spelling (All About Spelling, Level 1)
Math (Math U See, Alpha)
Handwriting (Handwriting without Tears, First Grade)

Break

Reading (All About Reading, Level 2)
Math Facts (Flash cards & timed tests)
Daily Geography (Evan Moor)
Writing (Understanding Writing)

Free time, Lunch

M-Science Reading, T-Character, W-Library, Th-History or Art
30 minutes independent reading
Read Aloud time

Mia will be going back to Friday school starting August 14th and will have one hour each of Language Arts, P.E., Music, Science Experimentation, and Spanish.


Anna is in kindergarten at home, but she will be going to Jr. Kindergarten three afternoons a week at a local charter school. Her birthday, September 30, is one day from the cut-off for kindergarten. We want her to experience being one of the oldest in the class and so we opted for this instead of Friday school kindergarten where she would have been the absolute youngest.

Anna's schedule is as follows:

Prayer and Pledge
Memorization
Calendar
Math (Math U See, Primer)
Handwriting (Handwriting without Tears, Kindergarten)

Break

Reading (All About Reading, Level 1)
Math Facts (Flash cards)

Free time, Lunch

M-Jr. Kindergarten, T-Character, W-Jr. Kindergarten, Th-History or Art, F - Jr. Kindergarten
10 minutes reading with mom, T,Th
Read Aloud time, T, Th

Fourth of July

This year we went to a golf course near Michelle and Stel's for a potluck dinner and fireworks display.

When we first got there a storm was brewing, pretty normal for Colorado summer afternoons. So we hunkered down under the hatch of the car.

About 10 minutes later we were huddled in our cars because the wind got pretty fierce. An hour after that we were enjoying the fun!

Mia did her first sparkler. She thought it was a blast. I was petrified of them at her age.

The fireworks show was really close and really good. The whole night reminded me of when I was a kid and when our older kids were little. The Fourth of July was always a barbecue, tons of kids, and fireworks!

Donna is Here!

While Mia was a horse camp all week, my sister Donna was visiting. On one of the days she was here, we took Maks and Anna to Garden of the Gods.

We went to the Visitor Center first.

Then we drove around and stopped for a hike. It was very hot and very crowded. So many people come to Colorado for summer vacation!

We got to watch lots of climbers!

Afterward, we had a little time to kill before picking up Mia so we stopped by the Focus on the Family playground on the way home.

It was a fun little trip for all!

Horse Camp

This year both girls went to horse camp!

Anna went to Parent and Tot horse camp. Because I stayed there with her, I was able to take some cute pictures of her riding.

This camp gives scholarships to children who are hard of hearing. The camp director likes to have a mix of hearing kids and deaf/hard of hearing kids.

Mia hung out with the "horses" at Anna's camp.

I don't have many pictures of Mia riding horses as I wasn't there. She went to a drop-off camp four days a week for six hours each day. She was COMPLETELY exhausted by the last day. You can see it in her eyes at the little ceremony on the last day.

But she had so much fun!

Next year they will hopefully both go to the regular drop-of camp. What will I do with four days of free time?

Our New Place

Two weeks ago we went and spent some time at our new house in the California desert. We plan on using it a lot and renting it out as well. The first few times we go out there will be more like work days, not vacation days. The previous owner left us some junk presents.

Because the house wasn't selling fast enough and it had a view of the mountains, the seller decided to take the two top layers of brick wall down and make a "better view". Now we don't know if the wall is to code with a pool in the yard.

Our first present was finding that he left pieces of the block wall here...

and here...Yes, that is the trashcan, completely immovable.

Here is a nice present behind the T.V.

The other presents were removing a subzero refrigerator and replacing it with a regular refrigerator leaving a giant hole in the cabinets. Also, the huge dining table is scratched up like you wouldn't believe and several of the chair finials are chewed on.

Now... these are all things that were wide out in the open but I just did not see them when I went through the house in a hurry that day to see all seven houses we came out to look at. So I really can't complain! And I LOVE the house. It is just that I thought we could just move in and enjoy it and that has not been the case...yet.

The kids, on the other hand, had a blast. we love that the pool is small and will be fast and cheap to heat up in the winter.

Little Bryce, Denise's grandson, loved swimming!

The girls were fascinated by the key making machine at Lowes.

We are going out again next week and doing a few more things to get the house ready for fun times!

Our Little Get Away

While Dar and Sean were at our house, Dan and I got away for a little while. We went downtown for one night; things were just too chaotic at home to leave Dar and Sean any more than that. But we will be going away for two nights in the near future.

Our first stop was the Denver Art Museum. Here we are. But here is where we did not want to be. We were looking for the Toys from the 50's, 60's and 70's exhibit. It was down the street.

But I read the giant poster on the art museum's garage on the far right.

Nevertheless, it's still down the street. So we went down the street to the History Colorado Museum.

It was so much fun! We especially liked all the toy commercials and seeing how they changed from the 50's to the 70's.

I got called Debbie Rockem Sockem Robots a lot because my last name was Rockenbach.

We loved loved loved our Little Kiddles and their aromas.

Dan liked Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. I had no idea they came in matchboxes.

Cootie was a favorite game at our house and I think it might still be around. There was too much stuff to take pictures of all of it. We also went to to the Denver A to Z exhibit. This museum is wonderful.

Later that day we walked two miles to a speak easy for dinner.

The bookcase opened up to let us in. The cocktails were really unique. I usually drink wine but I had to try one.

After dinner we walked a few blocks to Little Man Ice Cream, a building in the shape of a milk can. I didn't much care for my choice of salted something or another. It obviously left little impression. Should have got my usual mint and chip!

We took the 16th street bus back to our hotel. On our way to the bus we could see how the Platte River is flowing over the sidewalks from all the rain we've had here.

The next morning we had a relaxing breakfast and then headed back. We didn't want to miss the girls last day of C3 (Catholic Children for Christ) where they do a show and dance.

We so appreciate Dar and Sean letting us get away every year!

Mount Rushmore Day 2

After a good night's sleep we headed over to Bear Country USA in the morning. We loved it!

As you drive through, the first section you encounter is the elk area.

Next we got to get up close and personal with wolves.

We drove through the deer area pretty quickly as we see those nearly every day right outside or back windows.

The big horn sheep and mountain goats were new to the girls and they really liked them. They seemed to pose for the pictures!

And here's what we came for! Bears! There were so many but they were all moving! So all my pictures are blurry! This is my only good pic.

We began our trek home after the animal park but made one last stop so the guys could ride the alpine slide with the girls.

Here they are going up the ski lift.

And then... my camera died. But just imagine two little girls squealing with joy coming down a mountain in a bob sled. That's what I had to do as I was at the car getting Dan's phone!