Sports Fanatic

Jase, our 10 year old, loves all things sports. And the kid knows his stuff too. Throwing old school names out like you wouldn't believe. He is teaching me a thing or two about players I grew up watching.

He is dead set on being a professional football player right now and don't try to tell him otherwise. We recently had a conversation about how many people actually make it to the pros and how hard they work and told him there are other sports professions out there (like a sports broadcaster or statistician). He wasn't buying it and told us he will make it. Love his drive and dreams.

Here are a few clips of him quizzing me on basketball knowledge this week. Ally even jumped in and got an answer right. I am soaking up this time of him asking me these questions.

Last week he participated in a football camp and he absolutely loved it! He is also playing in a short summer basketball league. It is only one practice a week and one game a week, so not too involved. He loves it all.

Our baby

Maebry Leigh, our baby. She is now two and a half and well into those toddler years. She is already so strong-willed and moments later can be so gentle. She knows what she wants, very head strong. She will not put on an outfit unless she approves. Or shoes, she's been doing that since she was 1 year old. And she usually opts with a dress. It is a struggle to get a pair of blue jeans on her. Within the past week or so she finally let me start putting shorts on her without a fight. I'm not even kidding. Knowing how to channel her determinedness will be a challenge, but I pray the Lord uses that trait in a mighty way.

Here are a few recent clips of her. She is way too big and loves everything that older siblings love: baby dolls, princesses, Legos.

They are definitely angels when they sleep.

Sweet sisters.

Mama and Mae ran some errands together.

No, I did not make them get up there, but yes, I did make them look for a picture!

My little artist

Ally loves to draw. There is just nothing else about it. It is definitely her element. With that comes the endless amounts of paper and map pencils I find on the tables. We are still working on our clean-up skills, but we will get there.

Here are a "few" of Ally's original drawings.

With all of these drawings, I bet you can't tell what she'd rather be doing than her schoolwork? It keeps me on my toes to keep her focused and engaged and not turning her + sign into a flower. Or a zero into a person's head. The struggle is real for her. And me! With all of that said, she has done great this year and has made a lot of progress. And she still surprises me on certain things. For example, we just started multiplication and she totally has an understanding of the concept, which is wonderful! We are still working on our math lessons for 2nd grade, but we will finish up shortly. I'm kind of thankful that she did not finish on time, this way she is continually practicing over the summer. Here is a short clip of her working out a problem.

As you know we have bought a home that was in need of major renovations. We should be getting countertops soon and that has been the topic of many conversations. Ally brought me this drawing last week where she was comparing our options: granite, quartz and marble. Notice the $$$$ next to marble because she knows it is the most expensive. Too funny, these kids do not miss a beat. Also notice at the top of her paper is one of our favorite shows: Texas Flip N Move. It is filmed right here in the DFW area. I recently went to a retailer they use on the show and the kids (especially Ally) thought that was pretty neat.

Family portrait of my 4 kiddos by Allyson Kate French. I just love her and I love finding these treasures!

Bike Riding Fun

One thing that drew us to this house was the long driveway. A space for the kids to play and be safe in. When we first moved in 3 months ago the kids went wild with their scooters; they could not get enough. The past two weeks have been a bike riding marathon and I love it. Whether we are trying to leave or just getting home, you can find Finn on his bike. And Ally too, she really enjoys it.

This was Tuesday evening after dinner. The weather was perfect outside.

This picture cracks me up! Ally was upset that Finn was beating her, even though they weren't racing. But let's face it, there is always a competition going on.

I got her to lighten up a little and smile for me!

And a little football action for Jase and Daddy.

Here are a few short clips of Finn riding his bike these past two weeks. He has progressed so much!