Hotdog Social

We had a some fun at the hot dog social! We had hot dogs, who would of guessed. Along with Chili, cheese, Watergate, pasta salad and potato salad. We had cupcakes and ice cream cones for dessert. The older ones played basketball outside and the younger ones in doors with me. We finger painted and made collage's of the new system with glitter glue and other decorations. There were about 25 kids that came and are homeschooled, we will be doing it again next month thats for sure and the theme is Nacho's...cant wait and I will throw it on the weekend so everyone can attend! Will post the next event...

My laptop has been down, but were now up and running.

Wow, it seems like FOREVER! So much has happened since I last wrote. My parents came down to visit in November my sister has been down twice. Ethan has started rolling over, sitting up, eating baby food, drinking from a cup (I have to hold it for him) and has 6 teeth. He is totally on the bottle as of 7 months, he wouldn't stop biting and I couldn't take it anymore. I'm happy with the time I did breastfeed. He's sleeping through the night and is in his crib (it's in our room, but he's in his bed) Donovan was one of my best babies with getting into his own bed. He not only slept in his own bed but his own room and went to bed every night at 8. It was like I was living in a movie or something, just so unreal. Homeschooling is going good kids are not as motivated as I would like but hey, neither am I. We get it done some days only because we have to. On those kinda days we take it easy the next and try to regroup and come up with some fun ways to learn and projects that will keep us all into the work. Other than that we haven't been up to much. Found out the truck needs a gear box, I know I can't fix that. Thinking of installing laminate in the kids playroom, has anyone done it themselves and can give me some tips? It looks kinda easy but I know the kids will be in my way, so will have to get a project for them to keep busy. We are starting a garden this year any suggestions on what to plant? My freezer day is still coming just don't know when.

I figured out what's wrong.

Now, I have figured out what is wrong with the truck. I have to put in some stop leak stuff, you use it for tires on your bike, they have it, in form for the car to stop those pesky oil leaks. I was able to get our pj's. My mom will be here in 1 week from Friday. We can't wait, we are going to Florida to drop them off at Shonna's house for thanksgiving. The kids are excited about to going to Florida again but me on the other hand am not. It's the drive with a 4 month old that doesn't have a bottle, so that means I have to pull over to nurse. It's a 6 hour drive and we don't have enough room in the car for everyone so we are taking both cars. We are going slow with school this whole month. Not for any particular reason I'm just going slow. We work in the summer to get 180 days, we actually exceed that cause we work through the holidays with 1 or 2 days off opposed to the 1 week off for thanksgiving and 2 weeks for Christmas. We are looking for more field trips we need to get out of the house more. Yesterday it rained ALL DAY. There was no gap where there was no rain falling and it's raining again today, so needless to say we will not be getting out the house today either. I think I'm going to put on a stew and make a fire and the kids and I will read for most of the day. My girls have just became pen pals with a friend of ours that live in Bosie so they want to write their letters to them. I have taking most of our TV routine out, TV was causing me to worry to much and every show I watched durning the day was in my head at the end of the night. So no more Law and Order, CSI or even the news! It's drastic but it has helped so I'm going to keep going with it. My next post will be about my FREEZER WEEKEND....

My thoughts at midnight

I'm sitting in the bed it's 12:05 and it's hot and a fly keeps passing by my ear, driving me crazy. The charger will not charge the laptop so I do my investigating and IT'S BROKE!! It's always something. I had plans to buy up the kids pj's, slippers and robes this week and now this thing is broke! It's always something. I was fixing Brian's truck and he has a oil leak and I can't figure out for the life of me were it's coming from so this weekend I will have to gear up and go back under there and figure this thing out. We need the belt changed on the Sequoia and I been youtube'n that to see if I can pull that one off. I have to change the light in the kitchen cause there not enough light in there for bugs to get around let alone me cook in there, thinking about putting a fluorescent light up, that's enough light for sure! I layed a new floor down in the bathroom so now I'm thinking of doing the kids bath upstairs before my parents visit. This is what I'm thinking about instead of sleeping. My best friend told me if you write it all down, you can eventually get to sleep cause it's off your mind. We shall see :) I think it's part of our job to worry, I don't know any mom that doesn't, I know mine sure does. Brian and everyone else in the house is knocked out, oh wait taye just walked in to see if she could get her fan cause it's hot in here. I agree I need the fan on too. Ethan is sleep but he is still holding on to my nightgown and really tight too, I guess I can't even get up he wants me to stay right here. That's funny cause when they start getting older they want to prove they can do everything on there own. I posted a song by Darius Rucker " It wont be like this for long" I love this song it's great! Listen to it, it's for all my sentimental people. It goes by so quick, my oldest is 12 and it seem like yesterday he was born and I was wondering what I was going to do with a baby. I can honestly say I love being a parent, it has it's days but I wouldn't change one thing.

Time away with out kids

Wow!!! That was so need, time away for me and daddy. I couldn't sleep at all last night, to much stuff on my mind. By the time I actually went to sleep it was time to get back up and it's 10:00 pm now and I can see me staying up working on a menu for next month a budget for next month and what bill I need to pay this Friday and what are we going to do for family worship night. I want a project or maybe write a play for the kids and dress up and preform it one month. This would take a month or so to complete. I don't want to make studying or learning about Jehovah a chore. The funnier it is for them the more likely it is to stick. That's just my opinion. How can I keep my self sane? Time away occasionally for the everyday things. I would recommend it, that's for sure. I think we might do it again in a couple of weeks, maybe with another couple.

Date night for momma and daddy

We are going out!!! Yeah, finally some time for me and daddy without the kids. I love my kids but you need some time away every once and a while. You need the break, believe me you need the time. Even if you think you don't you do. A trip to the store, or getting your toes done something out of the house for about 20 to 30 minutes. No talking in baby talk, no "go potty", no "stop hitting your brother or sister" just time to get your head together. We are going to a movie and dinner. I have a really good friend of mine who had 6 kids, that are now grown to watch my kids. We are doing the barter system I do her hair every week for 2 weeks and she will watch my kids for one night for us. It works for us. I don't have money for a babysitter for 7 kids and she someone I trust. I have some very good friends that would help me out at the first sign of help. You need a village to raise a family, so having good friends is really needed. Take the time to enjoy life and make sure you give attention to your marriage. Have Fun!!!

So Happy to get this started...

I'm finally getting this started. I have been homeschooling 4 of my children, Brian, Shawn, Lataja and Kalob. I also have to keep 2 more entertained Tianna and Donovan 4 and 2 years old and lastly Ethan 3 months just need to be near me so he can nurse. Schooling has been a challenge this is our 2nd year. I must say that it's easier than the 1st year. So if you are thinking about it and planning, that's good but it goes nothing like you plan, but just take it as it comes. Everything in life doesn't have to be on such a strict schedule. If laundry doesn't get done one day, your not going to die. You will just have double the next day. Hopefully you have some clean clothes in the house:) I was a by my "to do list" mom everything had a time and fit into my schedule. I had to let that go when I started homeschooling...you have to live in the moment and go where the day takes you. If you want to do school somewhere different, than do it. If you want to eat lunch later or earlier, than do it. If you want to do school in the park one day, than do it. Life has so many unexpectancy. You may not feel like doing school on one day out of the week than do it on the weekend when dad's home to help. The more help the merrier. I was a mother who didn't ask for help and I realized that had to change too. We need help from friends and family and esp epically our husbands. I know they work at least 40 hours a week, mine works more about 50 but there is still things we need him at home for and he realizes that and is more than happy to help. Life has challenges with Jehovah's help can make it through anything. There's a popular quote "If he brings it to you, he will bring you through it" I love it cause it's only with his's help we are able to do anything.