love to paint

Well, I thought I would post little ways that I find to save money. So, here's the first one. I registered for my baby showers at Target because I wanted to stay on their mailing lists for coupons. Periodically, I get booklets or individual coupons from them. So, this week, I got two coupons. 1) $10 off $100 or more and 2) $5 off $75 or more. I read the backs and there weren't any exclusions. So, I purchased a $100 gift card for $90. Yay! I shop there all the time for groceries, toiletries, prescriptions, clothing/shoes for the kids, etc. So, it won't take me long before it's used. And I'm just going to write it into the budget as I buy the things I need. I know that the key is not to feel like I have free money and use it for things I want instead of need. But, I don't plan on doing that. Anyways, that was my little fun way to save some money this week =)

I found this on the web. I bought one of those lint brushes last month (the really long ones for cleaning out your dryer vent) at Bed Bath and Beyond. I saw one this week at Target last week, though. So, they carry them too. Anyways, I went outside to clean the hood where my dryer vents to the outside and the flap was almost sealed shut because there was so much lint that had built up on top of the flap (in addition to a tiny dead wasps nest). So, I cleaned it up with my brush and now it opens and closes =) I'm so thankful that I thought to clean it and get the brush, because if it had sealed shut then the lint would have continued to build up and eventually wouldn't have been able to get out of the house and could have caught on fire =( !!! Ay ay ay! Below is a quick summary that I found on the web that I just thought I'd pass on to you =) Dryer Fires The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 1998, clothes dryers were associated with 15,600 fires,...

Making a new friend is like getting a surprise present that you didn't expect. And today I got to make a new one! I'm such an extrovert that making a new friend really is a blessing to me. But, I do have a funny story about this new friend. I don't know if this has happened to you, but a few years before I married my husband I dated someone that I fell in love with--but he didn't happen to fall in love with me. God taught me a lot through that relationship--most importantly that I could fall in love, which I wasn't sure I could do. God also used that relationship to really help me love and appreciate my husband because of how he's different than this other guy. Once in a while, I've wondered what happened to that guy and how things turned out for him. Well, tonight I was telling this gal from my church about Paul and she asked what his last name was. It turns out that she knew him! It is the most wild thing to me. He is married, which I knew, and ...

So, I started today by calling someone to help me with my gutters. I feel good knowing that it will be taken care of and that I can tackle the things I need to with our house. I talked with my mom about what I felt yesterday and she shared with me that that's the way it is with most friendships. You learn over time what is best to ask of your friend and what is wise not to ask. It is a dance just like most relationships are. You have to figure out where to step so that the dance goes together and that you don't step on each other's toes. And that dance looks different with every friend. I realized that my mom is right and I am thankful that she shared that with me. So, that's what I've been thinking about today. Ultimately, God always takes care of us.

Today I was hit with a hard realization. My husband is away for a while The first two weeks really went quite easily even with a birthday party for the girls at the end of the first week. Then this week I worked on painting our bathroom upstairs. I'm going to do the second coat on the walls tomorrow and then that will be done. But, this weekend was hard. Friday morning I awoke at 6:30 am feeling absolutely horrible. I went between the bathroom and the floor for half an hour. I couldn't get any farther. I lay on the floor wondering what I was going to do. I have a 6 month old, a 3 year old, and a 5 year old. None of whom know how to call 911 if I needed them to. Everyone I could think of needed to go to work or had commitments. They need to take care of their own lives and their own families. Thankfully, after a half an hour I was able to make it into the shower and recover. It was as if I had a 30 minute flu instead of the 24 hour flu. What would I have done if ...

This is an excerpt from Grace-based Parenting by Tim Kimmel, pp.9-10. "The real test of a parenting model is how well equipped the children are to move into adulthood as vital members of the human race. Notice I didn't say "as vital members of the Christian community." We need to have kids that can be sent off to the most hostile universities, toil in the greediest work environments, and raise their families in the most hedonistic communities and yet not be the least bit intimidated by their surroundings. Furthermore, they need to be engaged in the lives of people in their culture, gracefully representing Christ's love inside these desperate surroundings. The apostle Paul gave us as parents an excellent goal for our children to pursue: "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out t...

Last Saturday, Focus on the Family was on the radio with thier weekend roundup show. It's sort of a summary from the week with little snippets. One of the snippets was actually on High School Musical and what a great positive influence it is. I was very skeptical. So many young girls (ages 5-10) are big into Hannah Montana, iCarly, and High School Musical. It's so hugely commercialized. I feel like I see it everywhere--and then to hear about it from Focus on the Family. Wow! I actually didn't get to hear what they had to say, but it made me curious and determined to make up my mind for myself what I think about the High School Musical craze. From my Netflix this week, I got High School Musical 2. It was indeed pretty wholesome. I can't remember any language and aside from Sharpei's very revealing outfits, there wasn't any other barely clad bodies. The message was that friends are more important than everything else--I think. It made me realize how ou...

I've been trying to get some reading done, so I'm making my way through Help for the Harried Homeschooler. One of the early chapters is about discipline and one of the last things she wrote in the chapter seems very wise to me. Here is the excerpt... One of the Practical Pointers from Help for the Harried Homeschooler by Christine Field Write out a list of principles to guide you in yoru discipline. Post it inside a kitchen or bathroom cabinet. Refer to it often. It might read something like this: 1. Effective discipline always comes from the heart. 2. It honors God; it is not for my convenience. 3. It is gentle rather than harsh. 4. It preserves my child's dignity. 5. It recognizes good behavior. 6. It inspires self-control and confidence. 7. It trains my child above all things to follow Christ. I don't know if I'm going to post it inside my cupboard =) but I think I definitely want to write this list down and keep it in my Bible so I can pray that God ...

I don't think it's really hit me yet that Autumn is 5 today. She still seems so little to me, but I know she's getting older! It's so hard to believe. I took the kids out to lunch because the weather is a little bad and I didn't want to try and brave the evening cold. They were really good. All of them. I have to remember that when I get upset. They have their struggles, but they're doing well =) It is such a blessing. Well, I need to run and get working on their birthday party for Saturday. I hope it will go well!

Isn't that a perfect title? =) I picked up this book by Christine Field. It has a lot of things I know already, but also a lot of good reminders and tips. One succinct phrase about discipline is "The more you yell, the more you yell." It's easy to fall into the trap of yelling. I want to put a stop to it. I know it can be done. I was encouraged to talk to a friend last night who is a veteran homeschooler and is still homeschooling two of her children. She shared with me that when her oldest two were young, she yelled for a time. But, she got through it and she isn't that way anymore. Sometimes I wonder if I can change and get out of this rut. It was encouraging to hear that I can and will. =) The rest of the book is about balancing life with homeschooling on so many levels and making choices. It's a keeper!

Yesterday, I went to a homeschool book store and I found a great little book. It is titled Prayer: Learning to Talk to God. It is by Jeanette L. Groth and illustrated by Jan Brett. It is a great book! It is perfect for explaining and discussing prayer with 4 and 5 year olds. The wording of the book is simple and Biblical. The author talks about each of the different things we talk to God about: Praise, Needs/Wants, Other People, Guidance, etc. For each explanation, there is an excellent illustration of a situation showing a child who would want/need to talk to God about that thing. Let me explain... On the page addressing Praise, there is a young girl standing at the beach looking up at the sky with a smile on her face. On the page explaining that we pray for Guidance, there is a young girl taking care of her garden (her chores, I assume) who is being asked by friends to go fishing. The illustrations are great for starting discussions with our children. I love this little b...

One of the hardest things for me about having 3 little kids is finding time to take care of the things that I need. I know it's important to take care of me, but somehow taking care of things for myself always gets put off. Sometimes it's hard for me to know what to do. But, God reminded me several times this weekend that he will take care of me and help me find ways to do the things I need to do =) At times, I've tried to go to stores to shop for certain things and it just doesn't go well =( So, anyways, there's a few things that I've needed and God has provided for me and I am so humbled. Last week, I bought some clothes at a garage sale for $6 so they're new to me and most of them fit. I saved a sleep set for my mom and gave a pair of jeans to some neighbor girls, but the rest fit =) 2 pairs of jeans, a skirt, and 2 pairs of pants. The clothes were a blessing to me. With every child I've had, my jeans seem to fit a little different even though...

So, there are definitely good movies in the world and bad movies in the world. It's so frustrating to sit through 2 hours of a movie that you keep hoping is going to get better. I think to myself, "It has an amazing cast. It has to get better!" But, then it doesn't. That was the case on Saturday night for us. We watched the Towering Inferno with Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway, and Steve McQueen among many others in it. It wasn't just cheesy. It was a bad script and just plain bad as a movie. On Sunday night, I cajoled Chris into watching Leatherheads with me. Granted it is a football movie and he isn't the biggest fan. I'm the football fan in our family =) But, from the opening scene with a cow, you could tell this movie would just be full of fun laughs. It reminds me of Oh, Brother Where Art Thou? and John Cleese movies. Both movies star George Clooney and in both he just makes me laugh. Honestly, I like Leatherheads better than O, Brother Where...

So, a fun little thing... My husband is very musical and really, truly enjoys music. Five years ago we bought our stereo, a component system. It's worked well, except that our remote broke and we never were able to fix it. We've now lived in this house for almost 3 years and periodically Chris talks about wanting a speaker system and receiver for our television. The funny part is that he hates the television, but he does enjoy watching movies sometimes. But, he struggles with the sound from our television, hence the desire for speakers. We've never bought anything for the tv because a speaker/receiver system would cost between $300 and $500. The past two weeks we've been talking a lot about how much is enough and making the most of what we have rather than feeling like we have to buy something new if we have something we can alter to make it work. So, this week I cut and hemmed a set of sheets a friend had given me to make a sheet for Sami's toddler bed inst...

I have to admit I hate losing things! I have so many things to keep track of and I try so hard! But, still it happens. I can't find my science book for this week for the girls and I'm a bit frustrated. I saw it yesterday, but now I can't seem to find it. I'm going to pray that God will help me find it soon =) I realize that this is only the beginning. With three kids underfoot, I'm sure we will all be losing things often and I'd be much better off not taking it all so seriously and stressing about it.

A good friend of mine emailed this to me in my struggles with my shortcomings and I wanted to share it because it was so well put and very encouraging to me... "We need to look at our shortcomings, but remember that we can't stop there. We need to remember not just that our sin drove Christ to the cross, but that HIS LOVE for us drove Him there as well, and, most importantly, His love for His own glory. He died that HE may be glorified, right? So that HE could stay completely just and completely merciful, and we would have a way to come into His presence in order to lift HIM on high. SO - it GLORIFIES the Father to be merciful to you, not simply because He loves you, but because displays of His mercy help us understand a new dimension of His greatness. It GLORIFIES the Father to provide you with strength, and patience, and high-end childrens clothing for 25 cents. Because every good thing you do or is done to you during the day is God's, in that they are manifestations of ...

Okay, so I like that show. It encourages me to keep working out and it's fun to see people achieve their goals. So, on Saturday, I found the Biggest Loser workout DVD at a garage sale for $.50. I thought I'd buy it and pass it on, because usually I can't do a lot of workouts that other people can because of my knees. I stick to the older Leslie Sansone videos. I can't even do her new ones because they involve too much twisting on my knees. Anyways, I did the first low impact cardio workout today--and I liked it! It was fun to do something different and I think it was really good for me to do a longer stretch and cool down stretch than I usually do. Tomorrow I'll find out how my knees did with it =) I'm looking forward to trying the other workouts on the DVD!

Generally in our house, we stay away from electronic toys, but I was curious--like the cat. =) And like the cat, I've suffered the same fate =) Leap Pads. Before I begin, are there any tricks that make them easier to use? Please let me know. I've seen the leap pad toy around for a long time. We have the fridge magnets, which we love, and the letter factory/word factory videos (which are wonderful!), but the leap pad seems like a really poorly designed toy. The pages have to sit exactly so, so that the pad will pick up the right page to give the right words. That's a little tricky for a 2-4 year old and even for many 5 year olds! I am thankful. I have to be honest. I actually bought it at a garage sale, because I was curious about it. I paid $3 and it came with 4 books. The one I bought is in very good shape--I don't buy toys that aren't. I know that this toy is going to seriously frustrate my girls. As a side note, I tried to go online and give feedback...

back on track...I have to get back on track with exercising. Not because of the weight from pregnancy, but because it's the best thing for me. Post Partum Depression is a very real thing. My hormones really do unsettle me during the first year after my children have each been born. But, I know exercise can and hopefully really will help me =) so I'm making it a priority again! My goal is to get up with Chris, get him out the door, and then exercise. But, now I need to get to my chores!

I am tired, but God is so gracious. This week we found out on Monday that we needed a new chimney. It was put in today. Normally, I get stressed about all phone calls and follow up and the cost involved with home repairs that we can't do ourselves. But, this time, I have been pretty calm. I realized that the holes that rusted through had probably been there a while and although we needed to get it fixed asap, it wasn't going to be the end of the world if it took a week or two. It did make things a little harried at times trying to juggle phone calls and workmen visits with homeschooling and the rest of life, but it's done now! But, there's another reason it seems minor this week. I have several friends who have major health issues going on in their lives and other big things to tackle--things that are much bigger than my little chimney. One of them is a friend of my Chris', Keith. Please pray for him. He took a 40 ft fall in California while hiking 10 day...

Last night, we had a first. Our first date without Eli. He's 4 1/2 months old and my friend who babysits for us took care of him. We went to dinner by ourselves and then came back and fed him. Then we went out for coffee and came back. We were gone about 2 1/2 hours total. It was strange and good for us to be by ourselves. I didn't have to worry about him waking up or being fussy. Chris said he felt younger and that was good for him--not to feel so old. The odd part was when we came home Eli didn't "need" me the way Sami used to. Sami was so clingy. We didn't go on a date for the first 12 months of her life because she was so attached and we didn't have anyone she would stay with (in addition to nursing every 2 1/2 hours until she was 12 months old--that made things a little more complicated). So, it feels very different this time. Part of me wants to be needed again that way and another part of me is very, very thankful that I can let him go.

This week has been a good one. Challenging, but good. I've learned far more than I expected. But, I've had far more learning to do than Autumn has, I think. I have learned a lot about homeschooling and how I need to change things for next week and adjust to who she is and where she is at developmentally. At the end of the week, these are my conclusions... * I'm going to shorten our reading and math lessons. * Everything needs to be in the morning and not the afternoon. * Their alarm is going to be set for 7:30 am instead of 7:00 am and if Sami wakes first, I'm going to tell her not to wake up Autumn. * They are going to go back to having quiet nap/reading time in their rooms after lunch. I need a break =) and I'm running out of steam. I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can remember right now!

This week has been very eye opening. I am observing and noticing what I need to learn in order to be a better homeschooling mom and teacher and what my daughter needs to learn to be a good homeschooling student. My weakness when I was a teacher in a first grade classroom was not understanding how small concepts had to be broken down--and I lost my patience very quickly. This week, in particular today, I am seeing how detailed my directions need to be. I am going to be working very consciously and deliberately on this. On the other hand, I realized that my daughter does not listen! Wowsers! In a classroom, Autumn listens very well. She is a compliant child and very influenced by peer pressure and conformity. So, she listens along with everyone else and follows directions. But, at home, it's just Autumn and maybe Sami and Mommy. Very, very different! I had forgotten that most of kindergarten in the public schools is not focused on teaching students academic and learning co...

Life is not easy, nor did I really expect it to be. Today I find myself challenged to enjoy each moment that I can and continue walking and trusting in the others that are difficult. I had a conversation with a dear friend of mine on Saturday about how much children model the example of their parents. She told me that I don't realize how much Autumn is a little "Suzanne". She does imitate many things I say and do. Autumn had a hard time coping with something last week and it made me think of myself and struggling with post partum depression. She wouldn't understand that, nor should she. So, I need to model for her how to cope in healthy ways with disappointment and struggles. I am faced with the question, "What do I want my children to learn from me?" on an emotional level rather than an intellectual level. I am praying that the Lord will guide me and that my children will grow strong in their faith and that they will be able to acknowledge and cop...

Oh, my goodness, my little Sami! Everyone says to me, well now you have a boy! As if a boy is going to be the one in our family getting into all the mischief. Every time someone says that to me, I reply, "Ah, but you don't know Sami." My little Sami. She is exuberant and willful. She has a mind that gets set on things and she goes after them. So determined! And yet, also so disobedient. It is interesting because her disobedience is not rooted in any meanness or intent to disobey me, per say. It is rooted simply in her desire to do whatever it is that she has her mind and heart set on! Yesterday, we were at the farmer's market. She didn't stay with Autumn, Eli, and me, but went around the other side of the car, stepped on some broken glass and needed to be bandaged up. Ay Ay Ay! Thank goodness for the kindness of friends who helped me juggle everything. This week, she has 1. Poured soap from Chris' head and Shoulder's bottle into the bath tub-...

Last night, my little Sami woke me at 2 am crying because she needed to use the potty! She hadn't wet her pants, but she knew she needed to go and it was dark and everyone was sleeping. I woke, then she went and used the potty, and then went back to bed. I think she's really getting it! This morning she's gone twice when she's needed to go. I heard her say once, "I need to go potty." She walked right out of the room quickly to the bathroom and went! I am so thankful that this is going as well as it is! I am also glad that I waited until she was closer to 3. I'm sure she could have done it earlier, but I don't know if I would have had enough patience. I'm very proud of her.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot of things about my weight. Much of it is prompted because I had a baby almost 4 months ago. But, to be honest, I think I probably would think about it anyways. When I was growing up, my dad was always encouraging me to watch my weight. And then when I graduated from college at 122 lbs., my dad suddenly turned to me and said, "so when are you going to gain some weight?" (implying I was too thin) and in my mind I replied, "when have I ever been thin enough?" Most of my family struggles with their weight or watch their weight and several people including my dad have Type 2 Diabetes. So, it's something I think about for that reason. With each of my pregnancies I've gained more weight. First, 39 lbs. with Autumn, then 43 lbs. with Sami and now 47 lbs. with Eli. When I hit 25 lbs. with Autumn the first time, my doctor expressed some concern and cautioned me to watch what I was eating. But, after I lost all but 5 lbs. w...

When I step back, it really does seem funny to me that potty training can seem so intimidating! I got so anxious about it with Autumn and I have found myself with the same feelings with Sami. I'm not sure why, but I think I have realized a few things (that I'm sure many others before me have realized) about it =) In Potty Training, I have to discipline myself to be more aware of my daughter's activities and the time that passes. In potty training, I am requiring my daughter then to discipline herself and train herself to listen to her body. That may require her to wake or to stop doing something she really enjoys doing. I think that's tough for us even as adults! =) I've stayed home a lot this week and that will probably continue for a while. Sami does not like to use the potty in the store, but I have one in my car. So, when we went to run errands today, that was the one she used! What a blessing! I suppose it is a big praise that 5 days after starting pot...

My Bible study that I'm going through right now is the Parent's Handbook to Shepherding a Child's Heart. The chapter I've been reading through is on Parental Authority. It has been challenging to me to realize that in the name of giving my daughters choices so that they can learn to make decisions, I have been giving up my authority and allowing them to be the authorities. Wow! When I shared this with Chris, he quickly identified that the areas where we slide are bedtimes, food, and what they wear. But, I am resolved to be a better parent! Sami is quite strong willed and Autumn copies her when she realizes what Sami is permitted to do--or, I'll be honest, what she gets away with. This morning I realized that it really is time to start potty training Sami. I don't know why, but I dread potty training. It seems like such a big deal! This morning, I matter of factly and gently told Sami that she was going to wear panties today and that every time Mommy tel...

So, we started reading a new devotional book with our kids. Last week, the boys in the story go to the zoo and one boy says to another, "isn't it funny to think that we came from apes?" Chris substituted monkeys for apes because our girls think they're all the same. Then the other little boy says, "No, we didn't. God made us!" Well, the morning after we read this story, Autumn breaks out at breakfast with "We came from monkeys!" And I said in just as silly a voice, "No, we didn't. God made us!" The girls burst out laughing. We repeated the same refrain for about 10 minutes back and forth sometimes me saying the first thing and sometimes the second. It really is absurd the idea that we came from monkeys--but it's even funnier seeing it through the eyes of small children! =) I'm so thankful that God made us!

I'm trying to get my plans in place for the school year and figure out how I'm going to do things. But, it's very ironic, I'm struggling to find time to figure out how I'm going to plan my time! Basically, my plan is going to be to do all the extras with both girls in the morning (Art, Bible, Music, Science, Health, P.E., Calendar Work) then have some play time and lunch. Then, Sami is going to have some "quiet" time in her room, while I do reading, writing, and math with Autumn. Then, well have time together to play or run errands. Then, bath time and dinner. I think I will be able to work with Eli's nap times to do the homeschooling. I hope so, at least! I'm a little worried about language arts, but I think because I feel insecure about that subject, I'm blowing it out of proportion. I feel fine about math. I just want to find some time to get my plans on paper for language arts and then I think I'll feel a lot better! I signed t...

So, once I had signed up for Facebook months ago, I didn't do anything with it. Then, the other day, I decided to look at it. I accepted my friends' invitations and started finding lots of old friends--friends I really wanted to know how they were. I'm funny that way, but I feel like once we're friends, we'll always be friends. We may not be as close or talk as often, but I will always care. It has been a joy to my heart to see the children of my friends and even find one that got married last week! I rejoice with her! Amidst the struggles of raising three little ones and all of the tears that flow each day (they are after all 4,2, and 3 months), it brings a smile to me to think of all the ways God has blessed each one of us! It's funny, but one memory has shaped much of my adult life. This is a little story... I love my mom. She talks to everyone. She talks to the people she stands in line next to in the grocery store (I learned that from her.) She t...

There's something in me that just loves to watch a wholesome romance. Penelope is one of those. It's a fairy tale of sorts, but I liked it so much better than Enchanted. If you want to watch something fun--just to enjoy it. This is a good pick! It's quite a contrast to Definitely, Maybe--which I wouldn't recommend to anyone. There's something that seems very wrong when the whole plot of a movie is that a father is telling his daughter (when he's on the brink of a divorce with her mother) that he really loved someone else when he married her mother and then the daughter encourages the dad to go find the other woman. Try to miss and avoid this one!

I love the refreshment that I get when I find the water after going through the desert! Since I had Eli, I have just felt like I'm wandering when I read God's word and haven't felt purposeful. I've also felt overwhelmed in my parenting just trying to do everything I did before, but now with three! But, a few weeks ago I came across a book and thought about ordering. I wanted to make sure it was in our budget for the month, so I waited another two weeks and then ordered it. It arrived yesterday. It is the Parent's Handbook for the book Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp. It has been such a blessing to me! I'm always skeptical about having to buy a study book to go with a book that I've read, but this one is worth it! The study guide is really a separate book aimed at looking at what the Bible says about parenting. In the first chapter (I'm not even done yet!) God has impressed 2 things upon my heart. #1: Proverbs 4:23 "Guard yo...

I think the conclusion I'm coming to is that it's easier to exercise every day--and just do it--than to exercise 3 or 4 days a week. Every time I miss a day it's harder to exercise the next day. It's harder to find the time anyways with 3 kids! After I had Autumn, I worked out 2-3 times a day until I lost my pregnancy weight. After Sami, I worked out 1-2 times a day. And this time, I walk in place when I'm standing in line somewhere just to try and get some kind of workout in!

This week in our small group we discussed why it is important to continue going to church because we are free in Christ. We go to church because love God and desire to glorify Him in our lives and praise Him. One of the greatest blessings of fellowship is accountability and the concern we have for one another. One of my friends emailed me about the Yoga ABC video because she was concerned about Yoga. It was a blessing and a challenge to me and I need to mention it in my blog because I wouldn't want to recommend that video without a caveat. You see, I fast forward through the letters N and O. N is for Namaste and the teacher talks about Namaste and O is for Ohm (the sound of the universe supposedly). But, I've been a little lax lately and haven't always been downstairs to fast forward those two letters. That is remiss on my part and my friend's concern reminds me that if I am going to let them watch the video then I need to make sure that I will be nearby to fast...

This year taught me a lot about homeschooling and me! I'm glad I did PreK at home with Autumn. I thought I would have lots of time to plan and do fun art projects and put together my own curriculum and collate it from several books for one subject. But, it just hasn't turned out that way. I realized quickly that I actually have less time to prep for my lessons at home than I did when I was teaching in the public schools! So, this year, I am picking a book or curriculum for each subject with Autumn. I do have a few books that I am going to supplement with because I love them so much. So, here's the books I plan to use: Reading: Continue with How to Teach your child to read in 100 Easy Lessons. Then, use a book I found called "Teaching Phonics: A Balanced Approach" I may have to purchase something midyear if the second book doesn't work out the way I hope. Reading Comprehension: 2 Read Alouds Every Day Easy Reading: It's a book ...

Well, I realized yesterday it is going to be a lot harder come the end of August to talk to my friends. So, I hope that this will be a way to keep in touch. I am going to try and update it every few days. Please comment and let me know what you think about my ideas or things I share! At the end of August, I will be starting to homeschool Autumn for Kindergarten and Sami for PreK 3. I am excited but it has begun to dawn on me what a change this is going to mean for me in my life. I am starting to think through what my schedule with be for each day. Autumn will be doing Kindergarten at home and then going to PreK-4 at the program she went to last year. It was a great time for her to be social with other kids and it is affordable. Yay, God! (only $60/yr for 2 times a week!) It is a huge blessing to us. My plan is to do Sami's PreK-3 at home during the time that Autumn is at Preschool. Eli is doing well, but I think that 3 is much harder than 2! I am trying to figure out ...

It's been a long, long time since I've written...four and a half months! So, I guess it's time for a little catch up. We're doing well! The girls are getting excited for Eli to arrive. My due date is in 19 days. I wish it were tomorrow, though. I had forgotten what this last part is like! So much to do and so awkward doing it!