Belly Dancing

Nora Lee just completed her first seven weeks of belly dancing classes. She has learned so many new things and her development in the performance and dramatics of belly dancing has been so fun to watch.

She was taking classes with two close family friends, Mila (6) and Chloe (9). This was really fun but the age difference was becoming a challenge so Nora Lee has switched into a class of just four year old girls. This seems to be a much better level for her and I'm excited that she plans to continue.

Last friday when Nora Lee had her last class with the older girls and her first class with the younger ones, she did 3 hours of belly dancing!

Here are photos of the older class:








Here is her new class:

Gymnastics

Nora Lee has started taking gymnastics classes at the community center in our neighborhood. She is really enjoying it and it's helping her a lot with her coordination. Nora Lee is taking the class with her friend and next door neighbor, Vienna.



Backward roll



Nora Lee tries a handstand

A brand new gorgeous playground was built in the park! After class we go over and play.











Vienna

Our Garden Begins

Who says you can't garden in your pajamas?







It's still quite cold many nights (low 30's) here in Los Angeles but beautiful during the day (mid-high 70's) so we decided to start our seeds inside this year which we have never done before. This gives us the freedom to put them outside for direct sun during the day and then bring them inside for protection from the cold at night.

We have planted zucchini, tomatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers, yellow squash, beans, and peas. We also planted a row of carrots and a row of lettuce directly into the ground in the garden. We'll see what happens!

Pizza Play-Doh Fun

Park Day

Nora Lee and I spend lots of time at the park with some other homeschooling families. Here are some recent pics.



Tyler (age 11) and Nora Lee



Claire and Nora Lee reading



Toby is only 3 weeks older than Nora Lee!



Toby (4), Cassidy (5), Claire, Nora Lee (4), and Valerie (8)






Chloe (9)

Harry Potter and Nora Lee (book 1)

Once upon a time Harry and Nora Lee wished to explore the woods. They walked along the beach and into the woods.


The sun faded down and night came. Harry and Nora Lee were worried. Then they came upon some giant footprints.



It was a lion!


Then the lion hides in the bushes as a monster comes to chase them! Harry and Nora lee fall asleep.


Then their mom and dad carry them home without them noticing. Then they wake up at home.


The end

The Fun is Repeated (book 2)

Nora Lee's imagination has exploded in the last several months. Entire days can go by that we are around home living in the world of Harry Potter, princesses, magic wands, monsters and dragons. She loves the fight between good and evil and takes her role very seriously as the defender of good.

She gets married, has children, people die, people live. It's quite incredible to observe. Often Matt and I will play in the game and then go about our own business while she continues.

Nora Lee loves books and is very interested in writing. She can write a fair amount from memory. She will say, "I want to write 'The monster is coming!'" and we will spell it all out for her verbally. There are still lots of letters that she needs us to write for her or show her in a book and then she can write them on her own. She is in the process of learning that there are upper case and lower case letters but still doesn't know when to use which one.

Below is a book she created. She is responsible for the story and how it's written, Matt just wrote the words and helped with some of the pictures.



The title is "The Fun is Repeated."


Once upon a time, Rapunzel, Harry Potter and Nora Lee were lost in a monster's cave!


The monster appeared!


The monster's husband came out a chased everyone!


They made friends with the monster.


They had a birthday party for Nora!


And they lived happily ever after...
(This is a picture of Nora Lee's house and Harry Potter's house. Often she and Harry are married but they live in separate houses.)