Creative Homeschool Exerience

Feeling a Bit Down

    Things have been busy around here the last couple weeks.  Been of course schooling the boy’s but also just doing things with the MOMS Club and other errands.  Just don’t have the time to be online as I did before I started homeschooling the boy’s.  But that’s ok I am enjoying my time with the boy’s and watching them learn is just the coolest thing to watch.

    Now on to why I am “feeling a bit down”.  Well yesterday hubby’s plant had a meeting and they are saying that in the next six to eight weeks they will be thinking about shutting down the plant.  I think they will be shutting it down though and not just “thinking about it”.  If they were to shut down they said it would probably be during the fall and that they would of course give the employee’s severance pay and help everyone make up a new resume’.  Also one of hubby’s bosses told both hubby and his brother (they work in the same place, same position just different shifts) that he would give them great references.  So at least that is good news.  I am just scared.  There really aren’t any jobs here in Michigan.  I just don’t know if he will be able to get another job soon.  What if we have to move?  Will I have to go to work?  How will that affect me homeschooling the boy’s?  How long before he can find a job or for me to find one if needed?  I have so many questions going through my mind.  I just don’t know.  I am trying to just let go and let God but it’s hard when you don’t know what to do.  I keep praying that we get through all this.  I know we will somehow but I am still a little scared.  Hubby doesn’t seem to be as bothered as I am about it though.  He says it doesn’t do any good to worry about it right now and that we will get through it.  I know he’s right but I am a worrier at heart.  So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that we get through this.  I know God has something planned for us.  It’s just the unknown and being patient that is so hard to do.  Thank you all!!

Still getting used to this Laptop

    I have been trying to get used to using this laptop.  So I have been playing around with it.  See it's pretty different because it's got the new Vista Window's on it.  I have to say I am not really that impressed with it.  It doesn't come with Microsoft Works on it so you have to go and buy a program to do worksheets and word sheets.  I think it's mostly for graphics and pictures.  But I am not realy thrilled with it.  But oh well have a laptop now LOL.  Because it's vista too and out desktop printer is 3 years old so it isn't compatable with it.  I went to the printers website and they are not sure when they will get new drivers for Vista for our computer.  So I am going to have to get a different one for this.  I will only need just a basic printer since I can use our desktop printer for copying and priting pics and all. 

   Other than the new toy I have LOL not much has been going on.  I took the boy's to a MOMS Club Valentines Day  party.  They had a ball.  With the cold weather they haven't done much.  The other day I did have them play out in the snow and my youngest was rolling around in it LOL.  Thank goodness he had on a snow suit LOL.  But after that one day it got really cold again.  So going to the party was a good thing for them.  They got to see their friends and just have fun.  Hopefully it won't be as cold so they can go out again.  I know we really haven't had much of a winter till now but I am so ready for spring and the warm weather all ready LOL.  I for some reason find it easier to keep cool then I do at keeping warm.  Yeah I am odd LOL. 

Got a new toy!

   We got out taxes back and hubby bought me a notebook.  Just got it the other day.  So I have been trying to figure it all out and work on it.  I am still having to download some stuff on here but it's coming along well!!  I am really loving it!! 

    we finally got the car back.  After not having it for almost a month!!  I am so happy to be able to drive again.  It was the computer (brain) of the car.  The way it was built you have to have the same vin number as your car.  So they had to put a brand new one in  and reprogram it.  I guess they were having problems programing it so that is why it took so long.  I seen the computer that was originally on the car and wow it was definetly corroded.  So glad we got that fixed.  Thank the Lord that it's hubby's cousin who owns a garage that did most of the work and gave us a big break on the cost. Other wise I don't know what we would have done. 

   The weather here is so cold now.  we went from basically fall/spring weather to freezing cold.  Well you know what they say about Michigan LOL.  Don't like the weather?  Wait five minutes and it will change LOL.  So true!!  I really dislike winter.  I wish I could just hybernate through the winter LOL.  But at least we had some decent weather till now. 

    Boy's are doing well in their schooling.  My youngest son who just turned five years old Jan 3.  Is doing  really well.  He is learning his letter sounds and can now count  past 29 as long as you tell him what's t next number after he can keep on counting.  Now to keep the letter sounds down a little better.  It's only a few letters he has problems with. Especailly the vowels (well all except A, he knows that one) but I know he will get it evntually.  That's all that's been going on here.  Hope everyone else is doing well!!

Been a While Sorry

I have been missing in action again. Sorry about that...again lol.... Well our car is still in the shop so hubby has been having to take me places in my mom's truck, which is a stick and I don't know how to drive a stick. Poor has been taking me places when he should be home asleep since he works midnights. He does it all without much complaint. What a good hubby I have.

Life has been busy since after the holidays. Once we get in the homeschooling mode it just seems to make our day's go so much faster. The boy's are doing well though. My youngest I am learning is a Kinesthetic learner. He loves to be moving and talking a lot LOL. When he say's his ABC's he has to be moving. He will walk in circles while saying them. While it may make me a bit dizzy I let him do it. Seems to help him learn better. I am really glad we are homeschooling him because I think in school he would be labeled ADHD because he does like to move around so much. He is also a very social butterfly LOL. If he is in a roomful of people he has to the center of attention. He will do anything to get people to notice him. But when it's just one on one instruction he will pay attention and do what he is supposed to do. In his own way anyway. I don't think the public school would accept the way he is. He is far from ADHD. He may be hyper at times and more energetic then some kids but when he wants to concentrate he can and does.

My older son is between a visual and auditory learner. If he sees or hears something he can understand it almost immediately. I once explained what multiplication was to him and he understood it right away and can multiply simple numbers like by 5's and 2 and 3's. This wasn't even when we were doing any school work. I just told him what it was and he got it right away! Also if he sees how something looks he is able to learn it quickly too. He totally amazes me on how much he picks up. Last year 1/2 way through Kindergarten I had to buy first grade curriculum because it got to easy for him. Looks like I will have to do it again this year. Especially with the math. I have had to skip over some lessons for him because it was just repetitive things that he already knows and he was getting board with. Now for Phonic he is doing well but I want to get through the Saxton 1 book before moving him ahead on that. Just don't want to miss anything important on it.

I think it's going to be a challenge to teach two kids that are so different from each other learning wise. But since I have done some with my youngest while teaching my oldest this year I think we can handle it. I just need to find some more active teaching with my youngest. Amazing how two brothers who come from the same mom and dad are so different from each other. One is laid back and reserved and is a real thinker (oldest) while the other one is energetic, loud, demands attention and loves to move around. Yet even though they are so different they get along really well. People often ask me how I can have my kids home all day long and not go crazy. First of all I love having my kids around. They make me smile and proud. Second it's not like they fight a lot. I won't lie and say they never fight but not as often as I thought they would. I know my brother and I were six years apart and we fought all the time. Now I wonder if it's because I was in public school and with him being so young we just never connected? But now we do get along great. Go figure LOL. So how is everyone else doing?

Sorry It's been a while

since I last blogged. Things have been either busy or computer was having issues. I actually tried to blog the other day but it wouldn't let me. Let's see our car is still in the shop. After the figured out that it was the computer in the car that went out the garge went and got a new one from Auto Zone. Only to find out that it was the wrong one. So now they have the right one but haven't been able to get to it just yet. Please pray we get it back soon. Thank the Lord we do have my mom's truck but it's a stick and I don't know how to drive a stick so as I said before hubby has been driving us around. Hopefully we get the car back tomorrow but we shall see.

The boy's had a play date with another homeschool mom and her son. They got to watch "Snow Dogs" since it is on sled dogs and racing them LOL. Because we are doing a study on the Iditarod Race in Alaska. Then they got to play around and they had a ball. So that was good. Hubby drove us there that day too but left to go do a few things and returned to pick us up later. Time sure does fly when you are having fun LOL. I know I did.

My computer has been acting up lately too. I got most of it figured out but it's still not right so I have been trying to figure that out. Other than all that things are ok here. Just been getting back into our grove again after having the holiday's off. At first it was a bit of a challenge but it's getting better. I am hoping to have a drama free month for the rest of this month LOL. So how is everyone start of the year going so far?

My Broken Down Car a Good Thing?

What an Adventure

    Well earlier this afternoon I went to go grocery shopping. We have been having trouble with our car since just before Christmas and we had to get the fuel pump changed. Even though we changed it just last year about the same time. The warranty had expired though but we had gotten a little off for it so that was nice anyway. But Christmas Day on the way to my mom's the car just stops dead as we are getting ready to turn left. Well we got it towed and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. They put it on the computer and everything and couldn't find anything wrong. They could see when it stopped and such but not what was causing it. So they give the car back to us and we didn't have to pay anything. Hoping that it was just a fluke. Well it happened to hubby two more times but after a few minutes it would start back up again. So thus he has been using my mom's truck but it's a stick and well I don't really know how to drive a stick so I have still been using the car. Not often but when I have to. Nothing had happened each time I drove it though. Until that is today.

    Driving along to go get groceries and the lights on the dash board flickers and then the car just quits. So I coast to the side of the road. Thank goodness I had my cell phone on me. So I call hubby up and let him know what happened. So while I am on the phone with him I give it a few minutes and then try to start it again. It starts right up. So hung up from hubby and on my way again. Didn't get too far when yep you guessed it the car once again died. So I coast again to the side of the road and I again call hubby. Wait and nope wouldn't start. Couldn't get it to start so hubby got the kids ready and came to pick me up. We went to the place we had it before and told him about it (hubby's Cousin actually is who has been doing it for us. He owns his own garage business). So he was going to get it towed to his place. Hopefully they will find what is wrong with it. Either way after we get taxes back this year we are going to buy a new car (well used new car LOL). Anyway in the end we all ended up doing grocery shopping. Wasn't too bad but man I wish my car would work lol.

    Anyway tomorrow we officially start back to schooling again. I think the boy's are going to be happy about it even if they do groan about it lol. I find when they don't get to do school they fight more and they whine more. They really need the structure and so do I, I think. We all seem to do better when we are doing something. I am actually looking forward to getting back in the swing of things too. Not to just get a car that runs LOL.

Yesterday, Iditarod Race, My Brother and Reading Bible in a Year

    Yesterday we just spent time at home just relaxing. That was nice. Just the family and I got some time with hubby too. So that was good. Other than that we didn't do much yesterday at all. Today we did some things. We went to Bob Evans for a late breakfast and then we went shopping so my youngest could pick out a toy from the money he got for his birthday from Grandma. Then we came home and I really cleaned the school/computer/toy room lol. Because since we use it for so much it gets messy really quickly. I still need to dust around it but not today LOL. Will get to it someday.

    I am getting excited about doing the study with my oldest (maybe my youngest too if he is interested LOL) on the Iditarod races. I joined that Yahoo group and now the membership is now closed to new members. Starting Monday - Feb 2 I believe we have to start making a wall map of Alaska and the Iditarod trail. The race starts in March and the boy's will get to pick a Musher and we get to track them as they get to their check points. I plan to do little crafts with them too as we go along. The race lasts any where from nine to twelve days. I am still learning more about it and I have to say I am excited about it. I know my oldest seemed pretty excited about it too. So we shall see how that goes.

    Found out last night when my brother called that he got into an accident. He said he went to stop and hydroplaned into another car. Thank the Lord everyone was fine including my brother. I am glad he called me to let me know though. He was just married in Oct and has their eight month old baby girl to take care of. Glad he was wearing his seatbelt and the air bag worked. No one but him was in the car with him so that was good too. He is just a little sore today when I called him. Praise God he is ok though. He's my baby brother so I worry about him a lot. He is six years younger than I am. So to me he really is my baby brother LOL. His car is totaled but he has two more vehicales he can use so that is good.

   I have been doing good at reading the Bible in a year Chronologically. I got the idea originally from A Work In Progress. I printed the study at www.backtothebible.org . I am really enjoying reading it this way and knowing others are doing it together helps keep my on track. Anyone else want to join in? Just go to A Work In Progress blog and let her know you want to join in too!!

Forgiveness and My Testimony

Matthew 6:14-15For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

   I don't know why but today I have just been thinking of forgiveness and what it means to me. It just seemed to pop in my head today LOL. Maybe God is trying to tell me something I don't know about yet?! Anyway I was thinking of what it means to forgive someone of wrongs done to you and what not. I remember before I was saved I had a lot of hatred and anger in me. Sure I did good things but I held grudges like my life depended on it And each time someone would do something to hurt me I would build a little more of a wall I kept around me so I couldn't be hurt any more. I had such a wall around me that no one could penetrate it. I was closed off to pretty much everyone in my life.

   I remember feeling so angry and then wonder why I didn't have anyone to really reach out too. I remember thinking why is all this happening to me why me? It wasn't till after the birth of my oldest son that I began to really feel God's presents. I remember looking into the eye's of my new born soon and feeling all this love for this tiny little person. (ok so he wasn't really tiny at 10 lbs 7 oz but you get what I mean LOL) and it was then that I thought well I guess their is a God (before this I had turned away from God and denied his existence). It was also then my heart melted and my wall started crumbling and I realized what my unforgiveness had done to me.

   Little by little my heart was warming to God. I knew of God but had not yet met with Him. But I began to realize what forgiveness was. It wasn't about letting the people who hurt me get away with what they did. In fact it really had nothing to do with that person at all. Forgiveness I realized was more for myself.

    When I started to let go of all those hurt feelings and let my guard down to let love in I felt this huge weight lift from my shoulders and heart. Forgiveness was for me to just let go and let God. After I realized this I began to let God a little more in my life. Then I met someone I worked with and she began talking to me about God. Not in a preachy way but in an informative way. I never felt like she was trying to as they say "Bible Thump" me LOL. But she would just talk and I would listen. Then I don't remember exactly the month or day it happened but my eyes were opened and I finally let God in my life completely. I don't think I have ever felt so much love in my life. I love my hubby and my children but this was completely different. Soon after I became saved.

    When I first started reading the Bible and watching Christian programs my hubby thought I lost my marbles LOL. He considered himself a Christian man but he knew I wasn't a believer for a long time and certainly never did the things I was doing now. At first he was a bit freaked out about my new found love. But then I started to pray for him and talking with him about what the Bible said and this and that and then he too was opened to the Lord. We both were baptized together. Sure we have our faults but we strive to listen to God and we have each other to help focus each other. So for me that is what forgiveness really is. For myself and letting God in. So learning about forgiveness actually brought me to the Lord.

He's 5, Iditarod, and Love of God

Well today was official my baby turned five years old. I feel a little sad. Only because the boy's seem to grow faster and faster with each passing year. But I am loving to see who they are becoming along the journey. My birthday boy was so excited to turn five LOL. He told everyone he saw that he was five years old LOL. He would stick out his arm as far as he could reach and splay his five fingers and proudly announce to anyone that would listen, or make people listen with his loud voice lol, "I am five years old!" He was also excited that his daddy shared the same birthday!

After my baby blew out his candle was a number 5 candle) he kept saying where's daddy's candles? So I looked and found a three candle and we didn't have a one candle so I just used a regular birthday candle and made hubby blow them out LOL!! When I load them up on my computer and resize them I will try and post them.

Well I have been talking to a friend of mine who I just met about four or five months back, who just started homeschooling this year. And she was doing a study on the Iditarod race. For those who don't know it's the dog sledding race in Alaska. I thought it sounded cool so I decided to do that with my oldest when we start up school again on Monday. She also told me about a yahoo group where they are doing this and you get to pick a racer and follow them along in the race. This happens in March. But I am looking forward to doing this. I think the boy's would love it. My youngest might not understand a lot of it but he will get something out of it too. If anyone wants to learn more about it . You can go to this website Iditarod History it is really neat!! I haven't finished reading up on all of it yet but I will get to it. I need to find a wall map of it so my oldest can map out the progress of our racer. I am not sure of all the details of it just yet but I will learn more from my friend when we go over to her house on the 12th.

The boy's and I also went to the library today to return some books and to get more. I was impressed my oldest usually doesn't really pick out books for him to read but today he did!! I so hope he picks up my love of reading. I just love to pick up a book and read. If I didn't have kids I tell you I would have my nose in a book all day long LOL. It's a good thing I have the boy's though so they can keep me active and interested in other things LOL. I also picked up some books on Ancient Egypt and dinosaurs. Two of the things he wanted to learn about. We will see what we get too LOL. With the dinosaurs I am going to have to review the books and edit out the parts we don't agree with. All though I have explained to him that a lot of scientist think dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. It's funny to any time he hears on TV or reads something that has that in there he will point out. No it wasn't millions of years ago LOL.

All though we haven't really done school since just before Christmas I have been keeping up on Bible study with them since I bought the new Devotional Bible book for them last week. They are short so I have to expand and have him talk about them more but I like it. I am so proud of the boy's and their love of God. Jesus loves the little children and you can really see it in the boy's. Always reminding us to pray at the table and my oldest will witness to others about God. I remember one time someone was saying God made the earth in seven days and my oldest said well actually in six because the seventh day he rested LOL. He is my little logical child LOL. Not much gets passed him LOL. He loves to learn about God and is always so full of questions and wonder. Sometimes though I truly believe he may know more about God then I do. Having the boy's have really led me to God and I am loving seeing God in my children everyday!! What a blessing I have in my two boy's. Even my youngest will make sure we pray and tell God he loves him!! I believe in us homeschooling not only are the boy's learning but so are hubby and I through our kids!! I am so glad we can homeschool!!

Random Thoughts

Well I was going to start school day after tomorrow, after my youngest birthday. But got to thinking why start school on a Thursday toward the end of the week? So I have decided to just wait till Monday to start fresh. We started school a little early this year anyway because frankly the kids were getting board and restless. This helped them to get back in order again.

When my oldest turned five I had a hard time with it too and now here I am again with my youngest. Why is it so hard for me when they turn five? Is it because they are now starting to be their own little person? I don't know. I also had a hard time with their first birthdays LOL and with their first hair cuts and all their first really LOL. I guess I am just a sappy mom LOL. I am not wanting to have another one. I feel I am blessed in the children we do have. I don't feel incomplete or anything. Just a little sad because they grow up so fast. If by some chance I were to become pregnant (I had my tubes tied after my youngest) I would of course love the baby but I really am happy with just having the two boy's we have.

People are always asking me don't you want a girl? To be honest it doesn't really matter to me. I don't feel the longing to have a girl or another baby for that matter. Don't get me wrong I love babies and every time I go visit my brother or my BIL and SIL I go right for the babies and play with them LOL. But I really don't feel the urge to have another one. Does that make me odd? I actually love having boy's. I was a tom boy growing up so I think I relate to boy's better. I had mostly boy friends. I had girl friends of course but I had more guy friends. Not that if we had a girl she would be totally different then me. It's just that I feel blessed beyond belief with the two boys we have. I feel complete and happy with that. Like I said though if it were to happen and I did become pregnant then I would gladly accept it into our family and love them but it's really not something I am wishing for. Does anyone else feel that way? I just wonder if I am just that weird LOL.

Big Babies and New Years

    Today for the first of the new year I really haven't done anything. Tomorrow I will be baking a cake for my youngest son since he will be five years old on Wednesday. I did a bit of cleaning around the house but really do need to do more. Not that we are having anyone over but still. I would like to have a clean house LOL. At least for a little while.

    Well the third will not just be my son's birthday but it will be my hubby's birthday too! When I had my youngest they said that I should consider having another C-section with him because he was looking big. See with my oldest I tried and tried to have him but he just wasn't coming so I finally had the C-section and he turned out to be a pretty big sized baby at 10 lbs 7 oz and 23" long. So with my youngest they paid close attention to how big he was going to be. I didn't have diabetes and I wasn't over due though. Just big babies run in my family (my mom didn't tell me that though till after I had my oldest LOL). So after they told me I should really think about another C-section with my youngest I agreed. I could have chosen the second, third or fourth of January to have him. I decided to have him on my hubby's birthday. I already posted a bit about his birth so I won't repeat it LOL. He ended up smaller then his older brother but still considered to be on the big side. All though to me he looked tiny lol. He weight in at 8 lbs 12 oz and 21 " long.

    I remember looking at him and I commented on how small he was and the nurse looked at me like I was crazy LOL. She said no hon he's big. I then told her how big my oldest was and she was like oh ok then I guess he would be small to you LOL.

    Even though I have had two C-sections I healed pretty quickly from them. Both times I was feeling back to normal with just a little tenderness where the incision was in two weeks. God sure blessed me in that way. At first it was hard to move and do things but I did. I didn't take any pain meds either. After my oldest I did take one pill because they said it would help me sleep but it didn't. So I decided to just not take anything but extra strength Tylenol. I remember the doc came in and asked if I had taken anything. I told him what I had taken including that first pill and he looked at me and said. "You are one brave woman!" LOL. I don't think that. I just know I don't like taking meds if I don't have too. When I was a child I had epilepsy and had to take medicine from the time I was three years old till I was fifteen years old after I finally grew out of it. So I really try to avoid taking meds LOL. I don't even like taking aspirin for a headache if I don't have to.

    Hope everyone had a Happy New Year!! What did you do for New Years? We didn't do anything but stay at home but that's ok it was nice being home with the family!

Happy New Year!

Here are a couple of slide shows with the boy's. Hubby is in one but it's mostly of the boy's. I get camera happy with the boy's I guess LOL. My older son likes to hide from the camera at times too but my youngest just loves the camera LOL. He's such a ham.

Just wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I have so much to be thankful for this passed year. For the first time as a family we got to go on a vacation to Mackinaw. I also joined a wonderful club called the MOMS Club and the kids got to do a lot of things and I got to do a lot with them. This was/is our second year of homeschooling and it has been so much easier then our first year and we have grown to really love it!! Would have missed a lot of this stuff had we not decided to homeschool! I am also thankful for hubby's job for me to be able to stay at home and be with the kids and homeschool them. I am so thankful for the little things in life we were able to really enjoy too. Going to the zoo, meeting new friends and learning new things even if it wasn't in a "class room". I am thankful that my little Niece was born and all through she had a rough start with her lungs she is a picture of health now. There are so many things to be thankful for in the year that is about to be over. Sure we've had a few rough roads but without these challenges we wouldn't be who we are and I love us!! God has really blessed us this year. God is Great isn't He?!

As for New Years Resolutions I don't really have any but I do have a goal with reading the whole Bible this year. I did a couple years back but I Really need to focus more on God then I have been. I seem to get busy with everything else. I need to focus more on Him. Not just for me but for the boy's. So they can truely see where our focus should be. Not just on where I say they should be. God has been with us through the years. Especially through the hard years like when we had our fire or before that when my MIL was dying of cancer. Don't know where we would be without Him.

I really need to lose weight but I am going to try and do it one day at a time instead of saying I am going to lose X amount of weight. This way I can be happy with every pound I do lose and not be disappointed when I don't lose as much as I want. I am not going to allow myself to get discouraged. This is my goal anyway.

That is about all my goals for the new year other than of course striving for a closer relationship with God and my family. What are yours?

Car and Toy's

    Well for some reason we are still having problems with our car. We took it in a few weeks back because the fuel pump went out. We had replaced it last year but our Warranty expired so we had to pay for it all again. Luckily though hubby's cousin who we took the car to gave us a 100 dollars off. But a little over a week later on Christmas day no less it stopped working on the way to my moms. So we took it back and they put it on their computer and couldn't find what was wrong with it and it also started working again. So we figure maybe it's a fluke? But at least we didn't have to pay for anything. Well last night hubby was on his way home and once again the fuel pump stopped working. Thankfully my mom new we were having problems with it before she left up north for a few day's and left her one truck just in case we needed it. We can't get the car in to get it looked at for a couple day's so we are using my mom's truck. Which is a stick and I can't drive LOL. Oh well this too shall pass. Hopefully we can find out what's wrong with it soon and not have to pay an arm and a leg. Pray for us.

    Today I went through the boy's old toy's and had to throw a lot away because either there are missing pieces or it was broken. Made room for some of their newer toy's anyway. Boy's are good about going through things and not throwing fits about this and that. Which I am grateful for. All though I worked on this all day the house still looks like a tornado hit it LOL. Hopefully tomorrow I can work on it more and make it more presentable. I didn't realize how many toy's they actually had! They got most of them from when we had our fire in '04. We had so many people help us out during that hard time and they had either bought or gave us toy's for the boy's. It was a humbling and thankful time. So good to know there are still a lot more wonderful people out there then we think.

Was Sick Again.

Well as stated before my oldest was sick first. Thought maybe it was just something that didn't agree with him so we went to my BIL and SIL's house on Christmas Eve. We all had a good time and it was so nice to have hubby's family all together. Well all but one brother was there anyway. I think it was the best Christmas with them in a long time. Since I can remember Christmas with his family have always been a little harried. Someone usually always ends up in an argument with someone but this time it was wonderful and everyone got along. It was so good to see. I hope they continue to be that way because weather they know it or not they really do need each other.

Ok on with my story LOL. So Christmas Eve went well. Christmas Day we went to my mom's and had a good time there as well. My brother and his wife and their daughter was there. I loved seeing my little baby niece. She is just such a happy baby girl. She is getting so big. Seems like they just had her and she is eight months old now. Well after we get home during the night my youngest started getting sick. So I was up all night with him. What little sleep we got was on the couch since it was the closest to the bathroom and we only have one bathroom. But again it only seemed to last through the night and by morning he was better. My hubby then came down with a slight case of it on Tuesday. His wasn't as bad but he wasn't feeling well. I also wasn't too hot but I think that was just from dealing with a sick child all night. Well Wednesday we went out shopping and when we got home that evening I was sick with it. So again I slept on the couch becasue it was near the bathroom. Then by Thursday morning I was doing better. Today I am much better than I was.

This whole month we have been sick with something. I think it's only been one week in this whole month we haven't been sick. But praise God it wasn't to terrible and it didn't last long either time. I feel a little bad for hubby though since he had all this week off but wasn't able to enjoy it much because we were all sick. He has to go back to work on New Years Day evening. He works midnights so he has to go in then.

Jan 3rd will be hubby's and my youngest sons birthday. I can't believe my baby will be five years old already. Seems like only yesterday I was in the hospital waiting to go in the O.R. to have a planned C-section with him (they said he was looking big like my oldest son so I probably get another C-section with him). I remember I could have chose the 2nd, 3rd or 4th to have him and I decided to have him on hubby's b-day. We had to be there at 5am to get all prepared to have the C-section. My hubby stayed up all night (the poor man) so he wouldn't have to try and wake himself up when it was time to go. We get there and they hook me all up to things they needed me hooked up to and about 7am they wheeled me in to surgery. Hubby came in, in hospital clothes and sat above my head. It seemed to go so fast and I hear my little guy crying. I remember thinking my baby is here but being oh so tired at the same time. Hubby, as with our fist, was the first to hold him. They put him next to me so I can see him and I remember saying wow he looks like his big brother. They quickly took him out and did what they had to do and hubby left with them to show our little man to our family. I can't believe that was five years ago already (well almost anyway) .

We won't have a party for him on his birthday but I am thinking since his brothers birthday is in Marcy I might have one big part between the two months for both of them. They share most of the same friends and I think they would love to have a big party for both of them. This way too it will be after taxes and we will have a little extra money. So hard to have a birthday right after Christmas. But I think it will all work out.

Almost Christmas and One is Sick and more about my family.

    Yep that's right one of my children is sick. To be a little more specific my oldest decided to be sick today. Actually it was more towards the evening hours. Both boy's took a late nap today because they were acting cranky toward each other and then when they woke up my oldest complained that is tummy hurt so I gave him a little water took his temp which was fine and told him to lie down. Well about an hour after that I asked him if he was going to be sick. He said no but then got sick all over the living room carpet. So I clean him and everything up. This time didn't give him anything to eat or drink and then a couple more hours later I saw that he didn't look to well so I asked him again and once again he said no and he got sick again all over the carpet. An hour after that he again looked sick so I sent him to the bathroom and this time he got sick all over the bathroom floor. (Sorry if I am grossing anyone out.). Took his temp after that and it was 99.1. So now he has a slight fever and he's gotten sick more so since then but he's made it to the bathroom thankfully. He is finally asleep. I hope he is feeling better tomorrow (my poor little guy). I also hope the rest of us doesn't get sick either.

     I sure hope no one is sick tomorrow because we are supposed to be going to my BIL and SIL's for a Christmas get together and all the kids (cousins and what not) get their gifts and spend time as a family together. But if either the boy's or I happen to be sick then I guess we will have to stay home (which isn't too bad of a thing but not being sick lol) and hubby go pick up the gifts for the boys. I am not really concerned with the gifts but I would like to have hubbys family all be together. You see back in 98 just before we were married hubby's dad committed suicide and then in 02 his mom died of breast cancer that spread. So I would really like for us all to be together for Christmas. I know how hard it can be for them during the holiday's missing their parents. They don't really get together very often and I know they need this time. So pray that we are not sick tomorrow.

    I know it may seem odd that I am close to my In-laws but we've had an usual family experience I guess you could say. See after hubby's dad passed away just weeks before our wedding we ended up for a year with custody of hubby's three teenage brothers (at the time they are all adults now). We had them for about a year. Their mother was sick with cancer and kind of ran away because she didn't want anyone to know. So that's why we had custody of them. We were only twenty--two so we were barely out of our teens and had to take care of three teenage boys. I love them each like a little brother. Might not always agree with their choices but I do love them like brothers.

    After a year of having them they decided to go live with their step mom because to be honest she would let them do things we wouldn't let them. I won't get into that thought. That would be another long story LOL. After they left to go live with their step mom I soon became pregnant with my oldest son and so we started a new life yet again.

    Fast forward to my oldest son's first birthday my hubby's mom (my MIL) finally came around and let everyone know just how sick she was and accepted our help and love for her. In that time I became really close to her like before she ran off. (I have been with hubby since a month shy of my seventeenth birthday so I had known her a long time). Soon after that I found out I was prego with my youngest son and we all got very close to my MIL and my oldest son adored her. They were the best of buds.

   She was there for the birth of my youngest son and was getting to know him when she got really sick and the family took care of her. I knew my hubby couldn't handle it and I had experience of being a Nurse Aid at one time with the elderly so I kind of new what to do. So I volunteered my time instead of hubby having to do it. So the family and I each took turns taking care of her till she passed away Nov 14, 2002. My youngest son was only ten months old when she died and my oldest was two. After all she had been through she really was a good woman. I do miss her terribly. So that is why I have such a close relationship with my In-laws.

    Anyway on a different note my SIL called last night and told me that when they were passing out the Toy's for Tot's stuff a lot of people didn't show up so I guess the guy in charge of it all told her to give the rest to kids they knew. She thought of us and so today hubby went and picked up the toy's she was going to give the boy's. I wasn't expecting a lot but man there was a lot more then I thought. So we had a Christmas today LOL. I am going to have to go through the boy's older toy's. I needed to anyway. Find out what can be given away and what needs thrown away. A couple cool things the boy's got were a couple of educational games. One is a fractions game and the other is a bingo game with colors shapes and what not. We truly are blessed. Well I hope everyone has a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!  GOD IS GOOD!!

What a Wonderful Life

Not As Busy and Reflections

    Even though we had a busy day today I didn't feel as rushed as I thought I would. Got up with the boy's at 7:15 am and then got them fed and what not and ready to go and left the house around 9:30am to go to the Laundromat to do the laundry and while we were there we did most of school there. My oldest did his math so he zoomed right through it and I had him do his spelling words and write me two sentences using a word from him spelling list for each sentences. It was more for practice on his penmanship then on the spelling words themselves. I need to work more on that with him.

    While my older son worked on that my younger son (per his request LOL) did his own little work on the letter B. Writing (tracing it) and we worked on the sound it makes. He loves tracing the letters and when we are at home he is too funny. He goes to the chalk board and writes out letters he knows and "teaches" me LOL. "Ok mom what is this letter?" So I have to tell him what letter it is and then he responds with, "Good job." LOL I know I posted about it before but cant' help it, it's too cute LOL.

    I was really surprised on them actually doing their work. Usually if there around other people or kids. (well there was only one little 2 year old there LOL) they want to be doing other things other than school work. But they did it without too much complaint.

    Well after laundry we got home around 12:30pm and put that away and worked on a few more lessons and then it was time to go to their play date with one of the newer members a MOMS Club. The boy's had a great time. The mom's son is actually right in the middle of my boy's. My oldest will be 7 in March and my youngest will be five Jan 3. The mom's son just turned six last month. But, they played wonderfully and I got to hang out with another mom and not worry. Her son is public schooled but he is a good kid. Of course his mom seems very involved to so I think that helps. She had said they had considered homeschooling but she didn't think she could do it. I told her it really isn't as bad as people think it will be.

    Granted the first year is a bit hard because you are still learning but the second year to me so far seems more smooth. I think with each year it will be better and better. Oh I know we will have struggles but I already feel more confident this year then the last. I am not trying to "do it all" like I was last year. Much more calm lol.

    Anyway back to my day LOL. We got home again just after 6:00pm and I got the boy's dinner and read them a story did our prayer (we do the Lords prayer at night) and they got themselves ready for bed and they got to watch a little TV and at 8pm had them turn it off and get to bed. They pretty much have had this same routine since they were little. I think it helps them having the routine. Helps them know what is coming next and helps to calm them down when they know it's bed time.

    Tomorrow we are going to the elderly Nun home to give them the kids Christmas cards they made. The MOMS Club kids I mean. I am a bit excited about it because I know too well like I said in my previous post that the elderly sometimes get ignored. I am not looking for thanks or anything but I want to show my boy's that by doing simple things they can show great love. I want the to see what God wants of them and how just a simple act of kindness can do so much. I pray I can show that to my kids. I so want them to be Godly men when they grow up and so far I see that in them everyday. They are both very giving children and people seemed to be so amazed on just how giving they are. Our family is truely blessed. I just wish that for every family. Yeah can you tell I am feeling the Christmas spirit? Thank you Jesus for coming to save us all and I so can't wait to celebrate your miraculous birth!!

Some Rambling because I am tired

Ugh

    Was going to blog about my six year old and I doing his volcano lesson today (we made a volcano model and made it erupt LOL) but I saw an article that I decided I wanted to discuss on here. You see I am a bit nosey LOL so I went and subscribed to this this thing called Great Schools a while back just to see the schools in my area do and find out what's going on and what not. Well this doesn't have to do with my area but thought I would discuss this.

    Over at Bill's Blog "Bill Jackson GreatSchools Founder and President on helping parents choose , support and improve K-12 schools." did an article called "How to Improve a Low Performing School." It’s talking about Charter Schools and how they are improving things for “low performing community‘s.”

    There is a lot I really disagree with and I will name some now. “First they require many more hours of class time than a typical public school.” Ok since when does spending hours at a desk listening to a teacher and being easily distracted improve anything? Is it just me or is this ridiculous? It also say’s they only take about a month for summer vacation off but do things like field trips and music class and a few other things but still when does a kid get to be a kid? I know a lot of homeschoolers school through the summer. But it’s not eight hours a day and it’s not being made to sit still when there are kids all around them where they would rather be playing. I just don’t get it I guess

    Another thing that bothers me is this statement. “ The Schools’ leaders believe in frequent testing , which, they say, lets them measure what is working and what isn’t, and they use test results to make adjustments to the curriculum as they go.” What does a test really prove? For one you teach a child something and then test them on it and right after the test how much do you want to make a bet they forget what they were supposed to have learned because after the test the teaching isn’t continued and two I know for me when I was in school I could study for hours and still not do well on a test. Why? 1) I was never really taught how to study 2) I would get so nervous about it by the time we took the test I froze and forgot ½ the answers. Not saying I don’t test my boy’s on what they have learned but I don’t put pressure on them to “Pass a test”. And guess what they do well on them. (well maybe not so much my soon to be five year old since I just do verbal test for him not written just yet. But with what he does he does well in.)

    One other thing that bothered me was this. “Third, they make a conscious effort to guide the behavior, and even the values, of their students by teaching what they call character. Using slogans, motivational posters, incentives, encouragements and punishments, the schools direct students in everything from principles of team work and the importance of an optimistic outlook to the nuts and bolts of how to sit in class, where to direct their eyes when a teacher is talking and even how to nod appropriately.”

    Ok so when did schools start teaching our children values? And what values are these? Do we really want teachers and principals teaching our children values and character? Shouldn’t they be learning values from us, the parent’s and character they should be building on their own along with teaching from the parent’s of course. Am I right? Oh and they teach the kids “how to sit in class and where to direct their eyes when a teacher is talking and even how to not appropriately?” So they are programming our children to be robots? I mean it’s one thing to let children know to look in a persons eyes when they are being spoken to but come on this is just ridiculous!! There’s more to it then just that but I really wanted to address those quotes. What do you think?