I have been so bad about this whole blog thing. I think being on facebook makes it so easy to be lazy about blogging. So, I am not going to post on facebook much anymore. There is really no point in keeping pictures there because the resolution when printed is so poor. So, I will STAY FOCUSED on this instead as it is VERY important for me to preserve my pictures this way and do a yearly blog book. It is crazy how all of a sudden I just stopped making photo albums after Mason's first bday. So, I have literally thousands of photos that aren't printed yet:( This way, I will be able to have my talented friend, Cari, make me a blog book that is out of this world!!!)
With all that said, I will apologize ahead of time for all the old pictures I will be posting in the next few weeks. I just want to make sure the important ones are saved!
As for "us" now, I do have alot to share.
Eric has been extremely busy with work, working up to 12 or 13 hours a day. He had to take over the position of one of his guys until his new hire is trained and capable of doing things on his own. That process has literally taken over six months and it has been quite a strain on our family and primarily on him. However, I am hoping this is the last week of 3 am work times and me being a single parent:( He is pretty happy that this insane schedule will be ending the same week that the TEXAS RANGERS WILL BEGIN THE WORLD SERIES! Yes, we are both so excited and have really enjoyed spending time as a family watching the games all dressed in our Rangers gear. Even M1 has been trying to learn the rules of baseball. Being an avid sports anti- enthusiast, I have loved this long season of the only sport I care anything about. (Which is alot by the way:) As football season is now in full swing with the Cowboys and Razorbacks both playing, Eric will have most Saturdays and Sundays occupied in front of the t.v. LOL
M1 is in first grade and is doing well. She is one smart cookie and sometimes outsmarts the teacher (me). Yes, we have decided to homeschool this year. I say "decided" very loosely as this was in no way "our" decision. I will get to this later.
Anyways, M1 has learned so much this year. I can't believe how quickly real school starts. She is doing fractions, simplified algebra, reading chapter books, memorizing scripture and learning hymns, stories and all kinds of bible knowledge, which I love! She is really into dancing and is about to start her second dance class. She really wants to do ballet, which is perfect for her. She is so focused and such a disciplined kid that ballet is perfect for her. She is still singing with her little group and is getting ready for her big Halloween show. She is so excited to perform "Thriller" "Monster Mash" and "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" on stage. Im not a big fan of halloween, but she is learning the difference between worldly views on holidays and Christian views and that Halloween is actually not even a holiday but just a fun time to dress up and get candy from friends. She also just lost her first tooth two nights ago. It was so loose and I must admit, I am such a wimp when it comes to pulling or even wiggling her teeth! How was I ever a dental assistant???? Thank goodness, Eric and her are daring and decided it would be fun to see different ways to pull her tooth. This first time, he tied her tooth to a string and the front door and shut the door. I could' t believe she let him do that, but she said, I trust daddy, he wont let me get hurt. I wanted to take pictures of the whole thing, but honestly, I had to turn away and stick my fingers in my ears when he shut the door. So, I dont have many pictures of this event, but trust me, it happened. I was so proud of her because she just sat there while he did it and she said it didn't hurt at all. She ended up getting $5 from the toothfairy, who was so messy and left fairy dust foot prints all over! She also left a note and let me tell ya, her handwriting is tiny! Eric and M1 are scheming on the next creative way her next tooth will come out. I have heard talk of the dog being tied to it, a remote control air plane and many others. YUCK!
M2, our little princess (sometimes.) She is the sweetest most loving child in the world! She loves to encourage and be encouraged. She is going to a new preschool this year on Mondays and Wednesdays. She and I both love her school and I really believe she has the best teachers possible! She has made new friends and her teachers always compliment her on how polite she is. She is working on expanding her diet. Right now, a great day of meals for her would be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mac and cheese, strawberries cut up, grapes and cheese. We are working on implementing other things in creative ways, but you would be shocked at how fast she can spot a tomato, pepper, carrot oranything else healthy. lol. These days she is spending most of her time playing with her petshops and people. Everynight, she puts ALL her petshops to bed and is so sweet and careful in doing so. She is such a gentle and sensitive little lady and a perfect day for her would be sitting in my lap cuddling. (I would be ok with that too:) She is a mommy's girl through and through which sometimes can destroy daddy, but M1 has turned into quite the daddy's girl,so that evens things out. A few weeks ago, M2 asked me how to to ask Jesus into her heart and prayed to do so. I know she is young, but, I was not about to discourage that. She was so precious about it and I have such a joy in my heart knowing that two of my three babies know Jesus. She is the first to remind everyone to pray for things and often will point out things about Jesus, like how he loves kind kids or how he wants us to love everyone. She has a heart of gold and I pray that she always will.
M3 is quite the handfull these days. He is hands down the cutest little man ever, which probably explains his demanding little personality. I must be honest, this little man has been a bit of a struggle for me in my parenting the past month or so. He is very strong willed and has a temper which I am not used to with the girls. We even ended up in the emergency room last week with a head injury because of his fit he threw. After hours of evaluating and what seemed to be an endless ct scan, we were sent home with a bump on his head and instructions on how to help him deal with his temper. Just what we needed. Later that week, I spoke with one of my best friends about his behavior and she gave me some advice which I took immediately. I went and got him some cars and trucks that he could learn to play with. I also, started holing his hands together when he began his fits and reminding him to have self control. I tell him that it is ok to be angry, but not to sin with your hands or lose control. I know this sounds strange to say to my 20 month old, but it is working. We have reduced fits and overall attitude issues. On the positive side, I have to say, he is such a sweet boy the majority of the time. He is extremely active and loves to play outside. I recently got him a tricylce that he can reach the pedals on. He was so frustrated by the other ones that he just wasn't quite tall enough to reach. He loves his new trike and goes all over on it. He also loves his new trucks and even makes those built in boy noises with them as he drives them all over everything. It is so cute and so amazing how different boys and gilrs are! One thing I love is how much he loves me. He screams and runs to me everytime I pick him up from Sunday School, preschool or bsf. He also gives me about 50 kisses and hugs a day and will come and will run full speed into my legs, grab them and say, "Oh mommy mommy mommy mommy" about 20 times. It is so sweet. He also will lay around with me and cuddle if I am sitting on the couch, which is something he doesn't do with anyone else. He is such a joy and keeps me laughing all the time. He loves to play with baseballs (YES!!!!) And is learning the distinction between a football and a baseball. He gets a little confused sometimes and sees the Ranger game on and starts yelling "touchdown!" Im trying to teach him to slide and say safe, but we haven't gotten that one yet, Im not much of a slider. he he. He is also going to preschool two days a week with his sister. He likes it alot...now. The first couple of days, I left him crying, which made me so sad, but now, he really likes it and has even learned to take a nap on a nap mat. wow! He loves animals, especially cows and puppies and he talks about them ALL THE TIME! He can say just about anything now and was so cute last night during a storm, he kept hugging me and saying, "scaweeee" each time he heard thunder.
As for me, well, I cant believe I have even had time to sit down and type all this. Right now the girls are playing in the back and M3 is at his grandma's. She lives literally two minutes down the road and lets him come play over there on Tuesdays while I do school with the girls. That is such a blessing, and gives him a chance to see his cousin once a week. He loves going over there to play with him and she seems to enjoy having him around too.
If you had asked me this time last year, I would have sworn that "I would never homeschool?" That was for kids that didn't "fit in" to "real" school. However, my eyes were opened over the summer to some things and I was hit like a hammer into reality. I felt a strong calling to look into the whole home school thing. I also was being supported by Eric, whom I never thought would allow me to do this. I soon realized all the benefits my kids could have if I pulled them out of school and took a different route. I received some criticism and some "I give it 6 months." But now, as we are nearing the end of our first semester, I have to say, you might want to up the anny, because we are going to continue. Protecting the innocence of my sweet children is my job and teaching them to love the Lord and tell others about him is something they must be taught to do. How can I do that with them spending 35 hours a week in a classroom? And if socializing them means surrounding them with kids and sometimes teachers, that are pressing all their views on my kids, then I dont want them "socialized" at all. And honestly, since we have been homeschooling, we have been more busy with social outings and new wholesome friendships than we ever could have in "real" school. I'm not saying public school is bad at all, in fact, M1 had an AMAZING Godly, precious kindergarten teacher and principal. However, we will not always have that option and it is my job as a parent to shield my kids from certain things. There will be plenty of time for worldly views later, right now, I want them focused on the one and only view that is eternal and real! Proverbs 22:6 satys, "Raise up a child in the way he should go, and he will never depart." Again, how can I do this when the majority of the time, they are not even with me?
I will get off my soap box now, I could go on and on.
My busy time of year has now begun with photo shoots filling my Saturdays and editing filling some of my late night hours. But, it is such a blessing to have that right in time for Christmas! Plus, I enjoy getting away and being creative. I have decided to cut back though and am going to only be doing sessions for a select group of people. Only because, I simply dont have time to do more than that.
Whew!!!That was alot, that is what I get for going so long without writing. Now I need to go pick up M3 and get something ???? ready for dinner:) I will post some pics of our year so far.
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