Princess Purple

We nicknamed the girls "Princess Pink" (Millie) and "Princess Purple" (elisabeth). Here is Princess Purple in her gorgeous wedding-day dress.

Fun with Cousins

We took a trip to Las Vegas and enjoyed playing with the cousins. There are 5 grandchildren on the Gremlich side, in a few months the ages will be 5,4,3,2,1. (Too bad nobody is having a baby this year, the pattern is ruined!)

My beautiful neice Rebecca:


Painting together:


Fruity cousins:



All five kids goofing off at Emily's wedding (with my sister Laura, mother of the other two girls):


Elisabeth and Millie playing together:


Rychen, Elisabeth, Millie on the trampoline:

Rychen's 4th marathon @ Red Rock

Rychen ran his fourth marathon March 5 in Las Vegas NV Red Rock Canyon, finishing in 4 hours, 26 minutes. It was fun to drive the course--we found him at mile 14 and gave him a hug. At the finish line, My parents, my sister-in-law and nephew, and the kids and I waited. (These are the highlights/more photos are on Facebook)

Bad break-up?

Our assignment for R.S. photography class this month was to take a picture that told a story.

When I encountered this on my run this morning, I couldn't resist but to drive back so I could take a picture! I can see it all too vividly... the romantic, penny-pinching boyfriend gives her flowers in a glass jar. But as they are driving to their restaurant reservation, they get in a big fight and she pitches them out the window...

poor guy.

100 calories a day... it adds up!

I have been cringing at the scale lately... Today I realized I have gained 20 pounds in the past year. Wowzers!! How the heck did that happen? Logically I gained about 10 lbs of muscle from working out, and 10 lbs. fat. That works out since I barely even went up one size.

 

So I did a bit of math...

 

There is some saying about how vegetarians don't gain weight back. Dr. MacDougall wrote in one of his diet books a figure about carbohydrates getting stored as fat -- he says that the body can only convert 100 calories of surplus carbohydrates into fat storage every day. So you can eat unlimited carbohydrates (we're talking a nearly fat-free diet here) and your body can flush them out, and only store 100 calories worth each day.

 

Sounds like a dream come true.

 

Until a year passes... and you realize you were storing 1 lb. each month... Suddenly 100 calories a day adds up! That makes for 10 lbs. in a year.  I don't think I want to gain 10 lbs. every year. Ha! Time to eat more vegetables... or watch my portion sizes, eww.

Life is moving too quickly

I open my blog reader this morning and FOUR people are pregnant or having a baby! Two babies were just born in my ward, and just found out a friend is pregnant here.

 

It's weird when my friends who "started" after us are catching up and passing us by.

 

And here we are, not baby-hungry in the least. We have 2 babies already! I swear they were just born yesterday. Life is passing too quickly, and we are apparently on the slow train.

Late-night TV

When Rychen got called as a seminary teacher, I was THRILLED. Because, honestly, what wife wouldn't love for her husband to trade in his hours of late-night television for late-night scripture study and heartfelt, pleading prayer? It was a wonderful arrangement.

 

Rychen taught seminary for 2-1/2 years, and we really were blessed for it. The Lord has watched over us and provided blessings I never expected.

 

But now that time has come to an end, with Rychen's release last week. Now, the 2nd counselor in the Elders Quorum Presidency, he is enjoying the latest House episode.

 

(Meanwhile I still haven't sat down all day.....my list of all the great television I am going watch when I get released from my "self-employed, athlete, homeschooling housewife" calling is growing by the mile)

Math Bingo and other homeschool sucess

Here are the kids doing some schoolwork together. I succeeded in designing an activity that they could do together, at their (very) different levels. This is math bingo. They both have bingo boards with random numbers 0-9. I say a math problem and Rychen says the answer and then both kids mark that number off their board. Rychen is doing math while Elisabeth is simply reviewing her numerals.

This is a fun way for me to spout off any random math problem. We're using a method where the child learns all operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) at once, for a certain number group. So he knows all of it up to 12 (or 20, depending) right now. Math comes to him very easily, he is doing second grade work already. On the other hand, he needs more work with language arts and social studies.

Another thing I am excited to report is that I actually prepared some materials this week and laminated some things for long-term use! I have had the idea for a while to laminate re-usable worksheets to use wipe-off pen with. Here is a handwriting page where the child traces the written letters and wipes-off clean. This is how Rychen starts each day, it's something he can do on his own while I am still sleeping...I mean, making breakfast.
This has really helped this poor boy's awful handwriting. That, and endless mantras of "START AT THE TOP!"
Elisabeth has her own wipe-off activity book. Fun...markers!!
Cute girl. Thank goodness for staying home - who wants to wear CLOTHES?

A third thing we did this week, that I did not get a picture of, is Fact Families and Greater than/Less than. I laminated small cards with numbers and operations, for us to play games with rearranging math facts. Rychen rolls dice, then comes up with the "Fact Family" set of 4 math problems using those numbers. For example, if he rolls a 2 and 6, he writes out "2+6=8. 6+2=8. 8-6=2. 8-2+6." and now we're learning the same pattern relationship for multiplication/division.

Then we have our game to guess Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homonyms. I am so impressed at Rychen's understanding of homonymns and correct spellings even though I have never taught him spelling! Just shows that as you read to a child, they will notice and remember the correct spellings. For example, if you show him "eye" and "I" he will be able to use both in a sentence correctly.

He is reading pretty well but still stubborn to actually do it. He is required to read one book to me every day, and it can't be a book that he has memorized. There is some teeth pulling involved in this, and I don't know why it has to be that way! Why are kids so stubborn to read? It's like potty training all over again. So I give him reading in a sneaky way, like where it's indirectly involved with a different activity. ha ha!

All in all he is coming along, and is almost done with the first grade coursework. A lot of accomplishment and good times for us!