Sean

Sean is growing and maturing...as they all are but I expect his big growth spurt in the next year or so. I try to stop and enjoy his (and all of their) current phase(s) as much as possible. Sean is still resistant to formal schooling, most especially math when it's not easy. He doesn't fuss about cursive handwriting practice, Latin (I let him do this on his own), history, etc. But writing and math are his arch nemeses and I'm looking for a new approach for him this next year that better suited for him. It's not an easy task! Sometimes (all the time?) you don't know if an approach will work until you buy it and try it. In any case, he's ready for 7th grade next year and I'm going to let him help form his school load for next year. For instance, I'm going to present what specific sciences he can focus on next year and let him choose. I really really want to introduce Shakespeare next year, mainly to Sean and Cathleen but involve Kieran as much as he wants, but I'm still working on exactly how to do that. Sean is so talented at whatever he puts his mind to. Right now, that is violin and judo/sticks. His new violin teacher seems to connect with him more than is typical and he's loving his new pieces. We are still working on reading music...he plays at such a high level that his reading skills are poor comparatively. Typical when you start at 5 so we just keep working on it. He can read what he's working on but if you put a sheet of music in front of him that he's never heard, it's a challenge. Judo and sticks could be 4 times a week but he goes from 0-3 times depending on Adam's schedule. Though now that I am comfortable dropping him off, I can help when Adam can't. That's a lot of driving (keeping Finn happy there for 2 hours is exhausting) back and forth though. Sean has started to learn to play golf. He enjoys it a lot but it's much harder to get him there to practice since he'd have to go alone or we'd all have to trail behind him. I hope to get him to driving range once this week. Since we moved to Alabama, Sean is more difficult with behavior, mainly toward Kieran. It's exhausting for me but we keep telling him our expectations and consequences and hope that he'll grow out of it, as he started doing in DC.

Sean is now part of Robotics team. Crazy stuff especially with their schedule come fall. But this is good for him and he is interested in it. He also work on a coding team earlier this year and I hope to keep him going on that through the summer. Hmmm, need to put that on his daily checklist for the summer.

Catching anoles was quite popular here for a few months.

Bubble blowing success!

Working hard at peeling crawfish. 

Reaching for a hot biscuit at the Biscuits game.

One of the things I want to get Sean is a biscuits jersey...can't find them so far. 

Creek mud from science class

These kids rode their bikes in a time-trial on base! Only kids there!

After Sean's latest recital...he did so well...poised and accurate.

Pool time extravagance!

Zoo train ride

Last DC post

Look carefully or you might miss the helicopter Sean's flying. 

It's been so long I have no idea where Sean was going!

4th child syndrome...we've always tried to make our kids eat at the table in a chair. Finn gets to eat on the booster on the floor during move-out craziness!

Miss Pea

Our violin teacher's new baby. I loved holding him during the kids' last lesson with Mrs. Emily.

Sean was marveling at baby Evan's tiny feet! 

The kids were so lucky to have Mrs. Emily come

Can't remember if I posted this but this marks the last time we visited Purse State Park with our very dear friends. We have a nice collection of shark teeth now! 

At least he's cute.

Final time serving at St. Michael's in DC. Cathleen has decided she does not want to continue in Alabama which is fine since it was their decision to start. 

Expensive playtoy for Finn.

Our BFFs across the street went to trapeze school in DC knowing it was probably not an option in Alabama! Sean was a natural!

Once Cathleen got her legs up, she was hooting and hollering in excitement!

random

Kieran grew these flowers from seeds we got at the White House egg roll. 

Finn climbs up and plays one note at a time. Soooo cute.

I mistakenly left a bar of chocolate on the counter.

Sean working on Boy Scout stuff.

John stayed the night the last night he was in the country. The next morning, they made their "famous" egg sandwichs, invented during the snowstorm earlier in the year.

I'm telling you, he smiled just for the camera!

Sean received the rank of Tenderfoot!

Love!

Cheese!

Part of Sean's recital

Sean is playing Concerto in G minor, mvt 2, by Vivaldi. This is the last half. My phone (and kk's phone) died recording Cathleen's.

Fishing

Sean and one of his best buddies, John, going fishing down at the river.

Finnian and Sean

Mr. Finnian is 7 months old today! We usually tip this basket on its side so he can play with the toys but this morning he went for it upright.

Finn now naps on the floor. That pillow behind him is to the right of his little napping area. This is how I found him when he woke up from his nap! 

Sweet boy in my arms.

Sean and I having a nice conversation outside before church.

Love this boy.

Finn is a paper eater. We've had to make sure there are no books/magazines/loose papers in his path. He chews on them and chokes. Very scary but I stay close by now that he's on the move to make sure he's safe. 

Sean finds the craziest things being given away on base. With so many moves to and from our base, people just purge a good amount of items. He has been wanting a scythe forEVER. 

Sean's 10th birthday!

Sean turned ten this month! What a great age...he's still a handful at times but he is being a huge helper at home while Adam's gone to Senior NCO Academy. For the first time, Sean had a party. We invited our friend Charlotte and her four children, and Caryn and Izzy and Willie were already here. Caryn made a delicious gumbo that I'm going to recreate soon. :)

The gaggle of children eating gumbo.

Izzy, Sean, and Dottie

Happy Sean.

Sean's good friend, Dottie.

Sean asked for a vanilla cake with blackberry frosting and lemon curd filling. Thankfully, Caryn was around to help make this happen. It ended up being a delicious combination.

Charlotte and me and our babies.

Sweet Kiers enjoying the cake.

Suzuki Insitute 2015

This year, Adam took Sean and Pea to the Pennsylvania Suzuki Institute in Hershey. Since Finn vehemently hates riding in the car (apparently it's genetic) Adam took them on his leave from the AF. This is the trip where I come home utterly exhausted but the kids are so pumped about violin that it's worth it. They learn so much from all sorts of teachers and come back primed and ready to expand upon what they learn. That excitement wanes after a while but the skills they honed and songs they polished will stick with them.

Pea looking adorable rehearsing with her accompanist.

Pea and her fantastic teacher Mrs. Tricky. Sean had her for his teacher two  years ago and loved her. Apparently, Mrs. Tricky and Pea loved each other equally.

The line at the Ice Cream Barn. That was an almost daily treat.

Sean and his masterclass teacher. Adam was really impressed with her. Cate Edwards. Actually, Adam said he was impressed with all the teachers except one.

Cathleen didn't have Mrs. Cate but she attended Sean's class b/c she had an open period/break. But since they are both Cathleens with a capital C, a picture was required.

Sean at fiddling. He's pretty much smack in the middle.

Dinner out after her recital!

Bags for comments/ compliments written by the audience members about their recital performance.

The theme this year was the Sound of Music.

Mrs. Tricky also taught Cathleen's repertoire class. Parents had to play twinkle twinkle for 15 minutes! On a tiny violin! I bet Pea LOVED this part!

Sean playing second violin in orchestra.

Pool party at the Hershey school.

The recital program for Thursday. Pea played Minuet 1, not 2. After the recital, they had a big concert with the fiddilng class, orchestra, junkyard band, etc. Friday's grand finale concert was the performing groups. 

This looks like dinner in the hotel room, judging from Sean's bare chest and Pea in pajamas. :)

More pics of Pea and Mrs. Tricky (not her real name.)

Pea with her performing group teacher, Mrs. Lily

Group picture on the Milton Hershey school grounds.Adam made it through the week alive and I hope they are all better off for their time together.

The big concert hall.

Pea kept herself busy during her break/Sean's masterclass by doodling.

Pea in junkyard band. All the serious violin work is balanced with fun classes too!

Ice cream!

Sean at his masterclass lesson with Mrs. Cate. Is it just me or is he looking much more mature here?

Back on Sunday, right after registration, the kids participate in a Play-in. Starting with the hardest songs, you go up on stage in your street clothes when you know a song. All the way down to twinkle twinkle. Pea is here and Sean is cut off on the right.

Here's Sean at the very beginning of the play in. Three years ago, he was one of the last ones on stage. This year, he was one of the first!