Sebastian is three

Sebastian is now three!  He got a Batman mask, and two superhero action figures for his birthday, plus a few workbooks and a football.  He was overjoyed.  

     We are working every day on his temper.  Sometimes he melts down because he is tired or stressed.  But other times, he is trying to get what he wants.  We are taking it a day at a time, distinguishing between the two, and trying to connect and comfort him when he is beyond reasoning, but being firm with our boundaries and reliable with our consequences when he is just trying to manipulate us.  Sometimes its hard to tell the difference!  

    The sweet moments throughout the day, however, keep me in the game.  His little laugh and playful attitude are truly precious!  

Using a Napkin!

Annie got the first petal on her virtue flower.  It is a petal for achievement in using a napkin!  Everything that is a major effort, not coming easily, we make a petal, and when she has acquired the virtue, we glue the petal and throw a "Petal party"!  Super fun.  She is so proud.

County Fair!

We had a great time with cousins at the county fair!  We love our cousins!

Jake is Driving!

Jake got his Drivers' Permit!  After a long day at the DMV, even Annie and Sebastian got pretend permits!

Then, Jake drove his first drive across Irving!  We were all a little skittish, but he did a great job!

The Girl with the Cross Necklace

 Mom, Annie, Leigh and I went to the Kimbell Museum.  Here is Annie listening to the guided tour and Mom studying a Bernini statue.

Here is Moms' favorite painting in the museum: the Girl with a Cross Necklace by Braque.
I love it too!

Cycladic Culture

I had no idea that there were ancient cultures that were ancient to the ancients.  That is, if ancient history is marked by people like Socrates and Plato (400 BC) to Julius Caesar 32 BC), then I learned about cultures that were 2,000 years before them.  One of the main cultures I learned about is the Cycladic peoples, who lived 2800-2300 BC in the Mediterranean.  Here are some of their works of art.  

Kite Surfing

   As is predictable with Ron, he happened upon the unpredictable.  He rented an ATV--All Terrain Vehicle.  He took Sebastian and Clare all over the island, scouting out fishing villages, mountains, waterfalls, and the ancient ruins of the Cycladian culture.  The next day, we rented two, and all went for a ride.  We went in search of the beach reported to be the most beautiful on the island.  What did we find--kite surfing!  Lots and lots of kite surfers!

Family Vacation

After an intense six weeks of work, our family took a vacation for a few days on a beautiful Greek island.  What a joy!

Clare

  Clare had her birthday on the last day of the program when we were in Nafplio.  She got her ears pierced!  She's about the most fortunate girl in the world, to have spent most of the birthdays of her life in Italy, France and Greece!  What a streak!