Photo Friday 2014 ~ Week 35

This week has been mostly consumed by trying to get ready to start school next week.  This is our first time starting the year as true homeschoolers since last year we started out with the Florida Virtual Academy.  It's completely overwhelming!  It's mostly my own fault for not being more proactive and waiting until the last minute to order curriculum and sort through last years materials.  I'm still working on updating the kid's homeschool portfolios required by the state too.  Since we started homeschooling in the middle of the school year (January) we have to keep records to be reviewed on the anniversary of that date each year.  That means our records will be kept for the calendar year instead of the grade year.  At first that didn't seem like a big deal, but it means reporting on two sets of curriculum and trying to show progress from the end of one year to the beginning of the next as opposed to just showing progress from the beginning of the grade to the end.  I'm going to see if I can go about getting our review date changed if it proves to be too much of a challenge.  Anyway, I did get a trip to Ikea in this week where I was able to purchase a cart (among other things because hello, it's Ikea...who can go there and not buy anything?!  Expect one of my friends who exerted amazing self control and didn't buy anything while she was there in some sort of super human feat) to use to make an art cart for the kids which I plan on blogging about soon.  All of that to say that I didn't get my camera out this week yet again.  I told the kids this morning that whoever let me take their photo would be my favorite kid for the day.  They both raced outside to let me take their pics, but my boy went back in and said it was too bright and his sister could just be my favorite.  She was in a very cooperative mood and we just walked around our condo a bit and it was so nice to just hang out with my girl for a few minutes.  We even met a new neighbor while we were out who has the cutest teacup poodle I've ever soon.  Here are my favorite shots.

I just love her sweet face.  She got some new streaks in her hair and wanted to show them off.  I like that they are subtle.  Can you believe she is starting 5th grade in just a couple days?  I'm not ready.  It's going too fast!

I like taking walks with my camera because it causes me to notice things I would normally just walk by and not appreciate.  Like these beautiful coral flowers.  I'm not sure I'll ever get tired of the flowers here in Florida.

We had to stop a few different times so she could climb trees, of course.  She's my ninja warrior girl.  She's so muscular!

There's this one corner of our landscaping that we walk by to get to our condo and it's so jungle like.  I love it.  Some days I get down about condo living, but then I need to just get out and go for a walk and I'm reminded of how gorgeous the grounds are and I don't have to lift a finger to make them that way.  Then I feel grateful for our vacation style condo living.

We have this neighbor who lives on the first floor and has the most amazing plants on his patio.  I can look down on it from my balcony.  These flowers grow up his wall and spill over the other side.  I love them.  They remind me of daffodils.

I am looking forward to many more walks as the weather gets more bearable.  I've missed them for sure.  I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend and check back next week for our back to school pics!