What my kids are into...

STAR WARS!

It's a family thing.

This post is a long time coming and we've been into Star Wars for an incredibly long time, but where I thought the interest would wane, we're just getting deeper and deeper into it.

I really cannot tell you how many times we've watched this...


Xander has lego sets, easy readers, chapter books, video games, clothes, figurines, etc. all pertaining to Star Wars. He loves the whole franchise. He even loves watching the remade trailers for the older Star Wars movies. He's in love. He even has his own theories about what will happen in the next movies. (Insert eye roll. But I'm honestly impressed and pretty excited when he geeks out.)

Amelia Jayne, unsurprisingly, is still into TV. She doesn't even really care what it is, she just wants to watch - constantly. I have to set pretty strict boundaries for that one. Her favorite shows right now are Justin Time, The Cat in the Hat, Octonauts, Super Why and Jake & the Neverland Pirates.

Xander, on the other hand, rarely watches TV. He really doesn't have time to watch much TV, but when he does he's more into video games. He loves Minecraft, Mario Kart and Star Wars. But he really only has time to do this on the weekends because of homework and extracurricular activities.

Both kids started their soccer season a couple of weeks ago and are both LOVING it!! Amelia Jayne's team is adorable. She's on the team with one of her best friends. They spend the majority of the game/practice holding hands. The coaches have to separate them sometimes. It's the sweetest thing. Xander's league is much tougher this year. They play actual positions and have strict guidelines. It's perfect for Xander and his rule-following, strategic and statistics-loving personality.

Xander is continuing karate and is now on his 4th belt. I am so proud of him and have loved seeing his improvement, his joy and his dedication. That kid continues to amaze me with what he can do and the amazing attitude he has in everything he takes part in.

Xander is also in Cub Scouts. (I'll probably be writing a separate post about overcommitment - geez!) I don't have much to do with this one since he goes with his daddy each week. Amelia Jayne and I have been to a couple of ceremonies and the Christmas party, but overall this is their thing. David is an Eagle Scout, so he's waaaaaayyyyy more qualified to participate with Xander in this. Plus, he's a boy. :)

Amelia Jayne is finishing up her second year in dance. She has her recital on Saturday! She's enjoyed it and I'm excited for next year when they will be adding a tumbling component. She says she doesn't want to do dance next year, so we'll see what her thoughts are in the fall. I certainly won't push the issue.

Xander is still loving the Mandarin Immersion program. He has flourished in both Chinese and English this year. He's reading English well above grade level and amazes me with what words he can figure out by himself. We're working more on reading comprehension at the moment, but he's even above grade level in that. I've really been impressed with what he's learned and how much he's grown up this school year. David's cousin, Justin, is married to Thea who is from Taiwan. Her first language is Mandarin and she told me a few weeks ago that she is very impressed with what Xander knows and how well his reading, writing and pronunciation is in Mandarin. I was so relieved to hear that! I know his teacher would tell me if he was struggling, but to hear it from a native speaker greatly eased any concerns I have.

We have taught the kids a couple of fun games lately during our Family Game Night - Mexican train (which is a dominoes game) and War are two of their favorites right now.

With all this growing up that my kids have been doing, the thing that they still love most is playing pretend with each other. They make up elaborate scenarios and act them out. Whether it involves a grocery store, pet shop, restaurant or sporting event, they have vivid imaginations. I absolutely love watching them play together.

Both kids will be attending multiple camps this summer, mainly because I need the childcare while I work, but they're super-excited about it. They're both going to karate camp, soccer camp, and some themed weeks at the YMCA. They'll also be going to see their grandparents for one week + we'll spend a couple of weeks at the beach. We're gearing up for a crazy, but exciting summer!