1. I love omelets! I could eat an omelet every morning and be happy.
2. I also love pizza.. and all things with marinara sauce
3. I basically love food.
4. Next year I will have both girls in all day school. That makes me kinda sad. And kinda happy. It'll be me and lil man all day, everyday.
5. Cinnamon Vanilla Creamer... amazing
6. I got selected for Jury duty..first time ever..
7. We rented a Chrysler Town and Country while our vehicle got repaired.. I am in LOVE with it. It's totally decked out, with the latest bells and whistles
8. No other van will ever compare. I didn't think I would like it as much as I do but it's amazing. Beautiful and amazing!
9. I don't want to give it back today
10. Can someone buy me a $40,000 swoopy van? I'd be forever grateful!
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
What We Eat and Why We Eat It.
I've had a few people comment on our diet and how my kids eat pretty much anything so I wanted to go a bit into that today, how we got there, what we do, etc.
Some of my kids' favorite foods are shrimp, asparagus, salads, and quiche. We can tear up a quiche and a trip to our local grocers salad bar costs us $50 because everyone wants a yummy salad. Don't get me wrong, my kids love chicken nuggets and french fries and such but my middle daughter asked for Lasagna and asparagus for her birthday dinner. Those things, chicken nuggets, spaghetti-Os, are the exception, not the rule.
I love cooking and trying new foods, I love taking the foods we'd normally eat and making them healthier. Black beans in place of pinto, Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, Mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes and most times nobody knows the difference.
We eat what I guess you could call "grown-up food" 6 nights a week probably. We don't eat a lot of boxed foods, we don't eat a lot of frozen foods. Breakfast consists of normally Oatmeal or a non-kiddy cereal. Sure there are times when I buy the Cocoa puffs and they go like Hot cakes, but I don't buy that often. The other day there was a sale on Pop-tarts plus I had a coupon so I picked some up for a treat, my middle daughter asked "mom, what are these?" I told her they were Pop-tarts. "What's a pop-tart?" "uhhmmmm.... It's like toast with jelly, only this kind has chocolate in it" CHOCOLATE!! YUMMM she yelled. They now love pop-tarts and every time we are at the store I get "Can We get pop-tarts" and I say....wait for it...wait for it... NO! Yes, they pout, Yes, they say "ahh maaaann" but I stick to my guns and in no time they have forgotten what it was that they wanted. If your kids know they can push you into something they will try. And try. and try. and try. And mine know that when I say "no" it means no and if they keep pushing there will be consequences. They don't even dare throwing a temper tantrum at the grocery store. I believe it happened once with one of our kids and the rest learned that was not a good idea. It's because I'm consistent, in all areas of our life, but especially in food and what we buy. If they have birthday money and want to spend that on Pop-tarts, they most certainly can, but most times a shiny new toy looks more appealing than Pop-tarts. "If it's not on Mommy's list, we don't buy it, because mommy has the money" is their mantra.
It comes down to the fact that if I don't buy it, they can't eat it. That's my rule with everything. If I don't want my kids eating lots of Boxed foods or sugary breakfast foods, why would I buy them? If they are hungry enough they will eat the cheerios or fruit for a snack. They wont' starve.
We have a "No thank you bite" rule in our house. If you encounter something you don't think you will like you must take a no thank you bite and 9 times out of 10 they say "Wow, that's not too bad" and then from then on out every time we have that food they must try it. That No thank you bite is not negotiable. My oldest isn't a fan of asparagus but every time we have it she must eat at least 2 pieces and she complains and I ignore her and she eats them.
I also don't usually make separate meals. There are times when Hubs and I eat later on after they are in bed so I make them canned ravioli or something but most times what we eat, they eat. If they don't eat, they will be hungry.
My kids didn't start out liking quiche or shrimp but after eating it a few times they realized it isn't that bad and now they are asking for it by name. I also don't say things like "You're a little girl! Little girls don't normally like asparagus" If I do that then they feel like they are weird. Why would I discourage them eating food that is so healthy for them?
I encourage you to try new foods, start with one a week, and start letting your kids branch out. I'm raising adults that will love trying new foods and developing their palate and who, I hope, will see how I love cooking for them and take that into their own lives as they grow up and have families.
Some of my kids' favorite foods are shrimp, asparagus, salads, and quiche. We can tear up a quiche and a trip to our local grocers salad bar costs us $50 because everyone wants a yummy salad. Don't get me wrong, my kids love chicken nuggets and french fries and such but my middle daughter asked for Lasagna and asparagus for her birthday dinner. Those things, chicken nuggets, spaghetti-Os, are the exception, not the rule.
I love cooking and trying new foods, I love taking the foods we'd normally eat and making them healthier. Black beans in place of pinto, Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, Mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes and most times nobody knows the difference.
We eat what I guess you could call "grown-up food" 6 nights a week probably. We don't eat a lot of boxed foods, we don't eat a lot of frozen foods. Breakfast consists of normally Oatmeal or a non-kiddy cereal. Sure there are times when I buy the Cocoa puffs and they go like Hot cakes, but I don't buy that often. The other day there was a sale on Pop-tarts plus I had a coupon so I picked some up for a treat, my middle daughter asked "mom, what are these?" I told her they were Pop-tarts. "What's a pop-tart?" "uhhmmmm.... It's like toast with jelly, only this kind has chocolate in it" CHOCOLATE!! YUMMM she yelled. They now love pop-tarts and every time we are at the store I get "Can We get pop-tarts" and I say....wait for it...wait for it... NO! Yes, they pout, Yes, they say "ahh maaaann" but I stick to my guns and in no time they have forgotten what it was that they wanted. If your kids know they can push you into something they will try. And try. and try. and try. And mine know that when I say "no" it means no and if they keep pushing there will be consequences. They don't even dare throwing a temper tantrum at the grocery store. I believe it happened once with one of our kids and the rest learned that was not a good idea. It's because I'm consistent, in all areas of our life, but especially in food and what we buy. If they have birthday money and want to spend that on Pop-tarts, they most certainly can, but most times a shiny new toy looks more appealing than Pop-tarts. "If it's not on Mommy's list, we don't buy it, because mommy has the money" is their mantra.
It comes down to the fact that if I don't buy it, they can't eat it. That's my rule with everything. If I don't want my kids eating lots of Boxed foods or sugary breakfast foods, why would I buy them? If they are hungry enough they will eat the cheerios or fruit for a snack. They wont' starve.
We have a "No thank you bite" rule in our house. If you encounter something you don't think you will like you must take a no thank you bite and 9 times out of 10 they say "Wow, that's not too bad" and then from then on out every time we have that food they must try it. That No thank you bite is not negotiable. My oldest isn't a fan of asparagus but every time we have it she must eat at least 2 pieces and she complains and I ignore her and she eats them.
I also don't usually make separate meals. There are times when Hubs and I eat later on after they are in bed so I make them canned ravioli or something but most times what we eat, they eat. If they don't eat, they will be hungry.
My kids didn't start out liking quiche or shrimp but after eating it a few times they realized it isn't that bad and now they are asking for it by name. I also don't say things like "You're a little girl! Little girls don't normally like asparagus" If I do that then they feel like they are weird. Why would I discourage them eating food that is so healthy for them?
I encourage you to try new foods, start with one a week, and start letting your kids branch out. I'm raising adults that will love trying new foods and developing their palate and who, I hope, will see how I love cooking for them and take that into their own lives as they grow up and have families.
Friday, February 21, 2014
The Big DR. Visit
I've been MIA for a bit this week. My boy got his with his first stomach bug. boo! Poor boy was so sick! He was sick all night and still couldn't hold anything down the next morning so I made the decision to take him in. I, honestly, felt a little silly taking him in when he had only been sick for less than 12 hours but my mommy gut told me to... so in we went. Turns out little boy was very sick. We had to run a couple tests to check for a bowl obstruction and came very very close to being admitted to the hospital. He was fairly dehydrated..yes, after less than 8 hours he was to the point of dehydration that he needed to be admitted.
After 4 hospital stays already in his short life, another one just made me want to hide in bed and cry. Thankfully the tests we had to run came back negative, whew, barely escaped another surgery, so we were given the choice to try meds at home for dehydration with the stipulation that if things weren't better we would admit ourselves that night or to be on the safe side and be admitted. I'll say, I leaned towards just being admitted because last time I dealt with a sickie that got dehydrated the anti-nausea meds didn't work. I figured I could just save myself a day and let's just be admitted and honestly if hubs weren't there I would have taken that choice. Hubs wanted to try it at home and considering I have 2 other kids to care for too we went ahead and got the meds and headed home. He's getting better, still not eating normally yet, but is drinking so we're running with that.
I am so thankful to have a Doctor that trusts me as a mom so that I can be given the option of going home to try the meds there! I am so thankful that our Dr. is willing to run tests and make sure he is okay. A Dr. that is honest and lays it all out there for me.
Listen to that mommy gut! I started out feeling silly for taking him in for something as minor as a little bit of throw up, but my kids normal is not your kids normal. Things that yours can recover quickly from and rebound, take mine a bit longer.
Listen to your instincts, mama!
After 4 hospital stays already in his short life, another one just made me want to hide in bed and cry. Thankfully the tests we had to run came back negative, whew, barely escaped another surgery, so we were given the choice to try meds at home for dehydration with the stipulation that if things weren't better we would admit ourselves that night or to be on the safe side and be admitted. I'll say, I leaned towards just being admitted because last time I dealt with a sickie that got dehydrated the anti-nausea meds didn't work. I figured I could just save myself a day and let's just be admitted and honestly if hubs weren't there I would have taken that choice. Hubs wanted to try it at home and considering I have 2 other kids to care for too we went ahead and got the meds and headed home. He's getting better, still not eating normally yet, but is drinking so we're running with that.
I am so thankful to have a Doctor that trusts me as a mom so that I can be given the option of going home to try the meds there! I am so thankful that our Dr. is willing to run tests and make sure he is okay. A Dr. that is honest and lays it all out there for me.
Listen to that mommy gut! I started out feeling silly for taking him in for something as minor as a little bit of throw up, but my kids normal is not your kids normal. Things that yours can recover quickly from and rebound, take mine a bit longer.
Listen to your instincts, mama!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Freedom With Money
Our goal at the beginning of the year was to get out of debt. Completely, once and for all. We have dreams for our family. Houses, College for our kids, Giving to others.
Military to Civilian change, job changes, moves, a son with special needs all derailed us, financially. We started using bits and pieces of Dave Ramsey's system. We used a Dave Ramsey budget format to track where our money is going. We have started using the Debt Snowball. You can read more about that here.
Another big change we are doing is using the Envelope System. Check that out here. I love, love, love, the envelope system! I really didn't figure I would like it. I even doubted it would work and I definitely didn't realize the freedom it gives me!! Imagine that! A system of assigning and budgeting and making money go in a certain place is actually freeing instead of spending willy nilly on whatever I wanted and then having "OOPS" moments when we run out of money before the month is over!!! I now don't have to feel guilty about saying "Let's go out for ice-cream" Because I have money set in our "Entertainment" envelope. I don't have to stress or worry about "Oh the kids need new jeans! Where's that money going to come from?" because I already have money stashed away in the "clothing" envelope.
I looked at our budget and decided 10-15 things that were important to us as a family. Like Christmas money and yearly car registration and school supplies. Doesn't everyone cringe every year in August when you have to pay those school dues and buy all those supplies? I don't! Because in August I will have enough saved up to not have to worry at all about where it's going to come from. I'm going to have 2 kids in all day school this next year, I need all the help I can get! We are starting to sloowwwllyyy build an Emergency Fund. It's tough some months. We don't always have a lot to stash away so we just pray we don't need those funds soon. We are able to give like never before!! Thank you gifts. We are able to do surprise dates and give to each other, as husband and wife, Taking my family out to lunch to thank them for all their help the past year! We are able to do all that stuff now because we have a plan!
Another big step we made about 18 months ago was to not use credit cards. In fact, I don't even know where one of our cards is, even. One is stashed in a hiding spot and the other... yaa I'm not sure where it's at. I know it's in the house somewhere. We do not keep them on us. It's too tempting to use. If we needed or wanted something and we were out of money until payday, we waited. We don't buy things unless we have the money in our hands! Things change. Situations change. I can't go out and spend money on something when I don't actually possess the cash. It's just not smart!
We encountered a situation a few days ago where we needed to get a rental vehicle due to ours needing to be in the shop. They wanted us to use a credit card. I refused. I specifically had money set aside in our checking account to pay for it. I didn't want to add onto our credit card (ok..and I couldn't find it, haha) but honestly, it was more because of the fact we made a commitment to not use a credit card! Just to pay with my debit card..which had the money... I had to provide them with utility bills, drivers licenses, account numbers, and all kinds of nonsense. Just to pay them with the cash I had in my account! I get it, it's hard. Not everyone has that cash stocked away... Neither did we!!! We've waited almost a year to get our car fixed until we did! We waited almost a year to get our vehicle fixed so that we could save up the money instead of just putting it on a credit card. I drove around for almost a year with a cracked windshield and dents all over my vehicle due to hail. It's a commitment!
This is part of how we survive on one income. It's not always easy. We mess up. We don't always get what we want when we want it but the pay offs for following this plan and the payoffs for sticking to it are HUGE!
Some months are easier. Some we struggle a bit more but it's a commitment we've made. To live better. To set an example for our kids.
The freedom is amazing! Being on a cash only basis is amazing! We've bought our kids bunk beds. Cash. We've paid off a credit card. Cash. We've payed off Hubs truck. Cash. I bought myself a fun Kindle Fire. Cash. We've bought a new bed for Hubs and I. Cash! It's an amazing feeling!
If you'd like more information on Dave Ramsey's system you can check it out here!
If it seems overwhelming and you don't know where to start, my suggestion, Just start. Sit down, pour through your bills, see what you can cut or change and make a plan!
Military to Civilian change, job changes, moves, a son with special needs all derailed us, financially. We started using bits and pieces of Dave Ramsey's system. We used a Dave Ramsey budget format to track where our money is going. We have started using the Debt Snowball. You can read more about that here.
Another big change we are doing is using the Envelope System. Check that out here. I love, love, love, the envelope system! I really didn't figure I would like it. I even doubted it would work and I definitely didn't realize the freedom it gives me!! Imagine that! A system of assigning and budgeting and making money go in a certain place is actually freeing instead of spending willy nilly on whatever I wanted and then having "OOPS" moments when we run out of money before the month is over!!! I now don't have to feel guilty about saying "Let's go out for ice-cream" Because I have money set in our "Entertainment" envelope. I don't have to stress or worry about "Oh the kids need new jeans! Where's that money going to come from?" because I already have money stashed away in the "clothing" envelope.
I looked at our budget and decided 10-15 things that were important to us as a family. Like Christmas money and yearly car registration and school supplies. Doesn't everyone cringe every year in August when you have to pay those school dues and buy all those supplies? I don't! Because in August I will have enough saved up to not have to worry at all about where it's going to come from. I'm going to have 2 kids in all day school this next year, I need all the help I can get! We are starting to sloowwwllyyy build an Emergency Fund. It's tough some months. We don't always have a lot to stash away so we just pray we don't need those funds soon. We are able to give like never before!! Thank you gifts. We are able to do surprise dates and give to each other, as husband and wife, Taking my family out to lunch to thank them for all their help the past year! We are able to do all that stuff now because we have a plan!
Another big step we made about 18 months ago was to not use credit cards. In fact, I don't even know where one of our cards is, even. One is stashed in a hiding spot and the other... yaa I'm not sure where it's at. I know it's in the house somewhere. We do not keep them on us. It's too tempting to use. If we needed or wanted something and we were out of money until payday, we waited. We don't buy things unless we have the money in our hands! Things change. Situations change. I can't go out and spend money on something when I don't actually possess the cash. It's just not smart!
We encountered a situation a few days ago where we needed to get a rental vehicle due to ours needing to be in the shop. They wanted us to use a credit card. I refused. I specifically had money set aside in our checking account to pay for it. I didn't want to add onto our credit card (ok..and I couldn't find it, haha) but honestly, it was more because of the fact we made a commitment to not use a credit card! Just to pay with my debit card..which had the money... I had to provide them with utility bills, drivers licenses, account numbers, and all kinds of nonsense. Just to pay them with the cash I had in my account! I get it, it's hard. Not everyone has that cash stocked away... Neither did we!!! We've waited almost a year to get our car fixed until we did! We waited almost a year to get our vehicle fixed so that we could save up the money instead of just putting it on a credit card. I drove around for almost a year with a cracked windshield and dents all over my vehicle due to hail. It's a commitment!
This is part of how we survive on one income. It's not always easy. We mess up. We don't always get what we want when we want it but the pay offs for following this plan and the payoffs for sticking to it are HUGE!
Some months are easier. Some we struggle a bit more but it's a commitment we've made. To live better. To set an example for our kids.
The freedom is amazing! Being on a cash only basis is amazing! We've bought our kids bunk beds. Cash. We've paid off a credit card. Cash. We've payed off Hubs truck. Cash. I bought myself a fun Kindle Fire. Cash. We've bought a new bed for Hubs and I. Cash! It's an amazing feeling!
If you'd like more information on Dave Ramsey's system you can check it out here!
If it seems overwhelming and you don't know where to start, my suggestion, Just start. Sit down, pour through your bills, see what you can cut or change and make a plan!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
A Challenge
In 2010-2011 I lost almost 50lbs. Not by any fad diet or any new pill. It was from blood, sweat, and tears. Pushing myself until I couldn't walk. Watching what I ate. Going to the gym at least an hour a day. Every day. I worked my butt off, literally. I felt amazing. I was in the best shape of my life. I had tons of energy. I felt great about myself. My stress was minimal. All this during a time when my husband was deployed so I was 100% everything, 100% of the time and we were having marital issues. Exercise saved me!
Then I got pregnant and I gained some of it back. Then I had Wesley and while he was the most amazing blessing -ever-, it's very stressful dealing with a special needs child. I didn't have the freedom to continue my work outs. So I gained a bit more back. We were gifted a gym membership and I started losing again, feeling great. Then we moved. I had to give up my membership. I left my amazing friends that I had made. I left my work out buddy. We had built a beautiful little life in 6 months and I had to leave that for a life that is also beautiful and amazing and I have no doubt we are here for a reason but way way more stressful. Instead of my husband being gone 8-4:30, He works 12-16 hours a day. Then Palate surgery happened. Then Wesley was handed the worst case of separation anxiety and that is still going on.. Me leaving him with someone besides my husband, myself, or my mom.. Not happening. Joining a gym is out of the question. I would no sooner get to the treadmill and I'd have to go back and pick him up from gym daycare.. This is so frustrating to me as a mom but at this point I'm not sure what to do. Going to the gym regularly is out of the question. My husband is always gone, I can't ask my mom to watch all 3 of my kids for 2 hours a day just to go to the gym. I can't put that type of burden her. So here I sit. I've gained back almost all of the weight. I'm not happy. I feel trapped. I'm stressed. I'm tired all the time. And frankly, they are all excuses. I believe there is more than one way to accomplish a goal. Sure, maybe I won't ever get into a gym (I LOOVE gyms) until Wesley goes to Kindergarten. Who knows. But at this point in his life my son went through a huge surgery and he now has a horrible case of separation anxiety and I don't know what to do about it. This isn't your run of the mill separation anxiety. So I don't have any 'run of the mill' ways out. I've been depressed. Depressed that I just made amazing friends and had to move an hour away. Depressed that I just got adjusted to a life and then had to change again. Depressed that I have had to be super mom to keep everything going lately. Depressed that I feel stuck and it's time to change that.
I know what my body needs. I know my body well enough to listen to it and know. This isn't about looking good. Wearing a size 2, or having the most toned thighs. This is about me. I need to be me again. Excuses don't get me there. Excuses get me deeper. Excuses don't boost my mood. Excuses don't make me feel better about myself. Excuses suck.
So here's what I need from you bloggy readers. My beautiful amazing bloggy readers. I have 2 Jillian Michaels DVD's. I know, it's corny. It really is but it's all I know to do right now. Gym daycares are out of the question. I have no solid, consistent, daily help. Heck, I don't even have much free time. So, here's what I am going to do, Every evening I am going to workout to one of those DVD's (Geesh...just saying it sounds so corny) One is a 30 minute shred and the other is 6 week 6 pack. And by the time I do both to completion it won't even be swimsuit season yet and I'll be shredded and 6 packed! So I need you bloggys to hold me to it! Ask me how I am doing. Ask me if I've done it yet tonight. The DVD's take no longer than 40 minutes to do. I spend longer than that deciding on what snack to eat nightly. There should be no reason for me to not do it!
This is not about losing weight, necessarily. It's not about being super super thin. It's for my peace of mind.
So, here we go! Hold me to this!!! Ready! Set! GO!
Then I got pregnant and I gained some of it back. Then I had Wesley and while he was the most amazing blessing -ever-, it's very stressful dealing with a special needs child. I didn't have the freedom to continue my work outs. So I gained a bit more back. We were gifted a gym membership and I started losing again, feeling great. Then we moved. I had to give up my membership. I left my amazing friends that I had made. I left my work out buddy. We had built a beautiful little life in 6 months and I had to leave that for a life that is also beautiful and amazing and I have no doubt we are here for a reason but way way more stressful. Instead of my husband being gone 8-4:30, He works 12-16 hours a day. Then Palate surgery happened. Then Wesley was handed the worst case of separation anxiety and that is still going on.. Me leaving him with someone besides my husband, myself, or my mom.. Not happening. Joining a gym is out of the question. I would no sooner get to the treadmill and I'd have to go back and pick him up from gym daycare.. This is so frustrating to me as a mom but at this point I'm not sure what to do. Going to the gym regularly is out of the question. My husband is always gone, I can't ask my mom to watch all 3 of my kids for 2 hours a day just to go to the gym. I can't put that type of burden her. So here I sit. I've gained back almost all of the weight. I'm not happy. I feel trapped. I'm stressed. I'm tired all the time. And frankly, they are all excuses. I believe there is more than one way to accomplish a goal. Sure, maybe I won't ever get into a gym (I LOOVE gyms) until Wesley goes to Kindergarten. Who knows. But at this point in his life my son went through a huge surgery and he now has a horrible case of separation anxiety and I don't know what to do about it. This isn't your run of the mill separation anxiety. So I don't have any 'run of the mill' ways out. I've been depressed. Depressed that I just made amazing friends and had to move an hour away. Depressed that I just got adjusted to a life and then had to change again. Depressed that I have had to be super mom to keep everything going lately. Depressed that I feel stuck and it's time to change that.
I know what my body needs. I know my body well enough to listen to it and know. This isn't about looking good. Wearing a size 2, or having the most toned thighs. This is about me. I need to be me again. Excuses don't get me there. Excuses get me deeper. Excuses don't boost my mood. Excuses don't make me feel better about myself. Excuses suck.
So here's what I need from you bloggy readers. My beautiful amazing bloggy readers. I have 2 Jillian Michaels DVD's. I know, it's corny. It really is but it's all I know to do right now. Gym daycares are out of the question. I have no solid, consistent, daily help. Heck, I don't even have much free time. So, here's what I am going to do, Every evening I am going to workout to one of those DVD's (Geesh...just saying it sounds so corny) One is a 30 minute shred and the other is 6 week 6 pack. And by the time I do both to completion it won't even be swimsuit season yet and I'll be shredded and 6 packed! So I need you bloggys to hold me to it! Ask me how I am doing. Ask me if I've done it yet tonight. The DVD's take no longer than 40 minutes to do. I spend longer than that deciding on what snack to eat nightly. There should be no reason for me to not do it!
This is not about losing weight, necessarily. It's not about being super super thin. It's for my peace of mind.
So, here we go! Hold me to this!!! Ready! Set! GO!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Why We Choose Public School
There's been a lot of talk lately about public vs. Private vs. home school. Which is better, which is worse, which will scar your children the most. When push comes to shove we can only make the best decisions for our family. The best decisions for our children. I'm not saying your way is perfect. I am not saying my way is perfect. Life ebbs and flows. Life changes. Decisions change. People change. Your children are not my children. Mine are not yours. Circumstances change. Life is not black and white. There is so much grey.
I personally had the experiences of public school and Home school. I was in public school until I was in 9th grade then from 9-12th I was home schooled. It worked well for me. I had the experience of public school, which I think is a great experience. Then I had the experience of home school which allowed me to study certain topics that specifically interested me, I was able to get a part time job, I was able to travel with my family and learn things that way. I couldn't be more pleased with how things turned out.
As a family, we choose public school right now. We choose public school from now until the unforeseen future. We do have plans to change districts at a certain time for our kids' sake. Now, will that change; possibly. It may. It may not. It's not something we are up late worrying about. When and if the time comes we will address it at that point. At this point in my life I am not a home school mom. *GASP* She said it!! I'm not. I'm a big enough person to say that I am a BETTER mom when I have time AWAY from my kids! *GASP* I can't believe she said that! Well, it's true! I am! I will ALWAYS be my kids' mom. I will ALWAYS parent my kids, but I am also a better mom when I have some time to myself. To delve into my hobbies and interests. Sure one can balance those with homeschooling but for me, in my life, I don't feel that I can do that right now. My husband doesn't work a normal 9-5, weekends off job. I carry a lot of the household duties and child care duties. I don't have the luxury to go off 2-3 nights a week for "me" time. Heck, I can't even find consistent time without children to go to the gym. I don't even have a solid block of time daily where everyone is asleep or having 'quiet time' I am literally mom from 6:30am until nearly 8pm. Constant mom. I need down time and school affords me that. It's what works for us. Now, that's not the sole reason we choose public school right now.
We choose public school because our children -are- exposed to things. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not tossing a baggie of weed to my 1st grader and saying "here try this!" nor am I condoning it. There are certain things I want my children to be exposed to. Cultures/beliefs/ ideas/people and then those things are brought home and it is then my job as a parent to explain the behavior or choices and guide them to learn what is acceptable in our house and what isn't. It's my job to teach my kids what -we- believe. They come home and we discuss it. We discuss what was seen/heard. We talk about how that lines up with what we believe, and let me tell you, My oldest is only in 1st grade but she is on point. She knows behaviors that are not allowed of her, whether she is at school, the park, or home, Words not allowed. Actions not allowed. She knows. And it's my job as a mom to reinforce that and let that grow inside of her.
We had an instance with my 6 year old where she had seen or heard something at school, can't remember which, and it was bugging her but she didn't want to tell me for fear she would be in trouble. What an amazing learning opportunity. I got to sit down with her and talk to her and explain to her that she will never ever, ever, be in trouble for asking a question. -Any- questions are ok to ask because that is my job to be here to teach her and grow her and share experiences with her. I'm not the type of mom that says 'ohh that's bad. We don't ask questions like that" I believe, at her age, it's all honest curiosity and if I don't address that and explain to her about it and tell her "ehhh that's not a good thing to say/do/think" she will take it upon herself to learn.
At some point in my childs life they will have to fly. They will have to fly away and know how to deal with people from many walks of life. They need to be able to relate and be friends with people from many cultures and places. The thing I love most about my husband is that he is able to be friends and understand -anyone- He grew up in the ghettos of Tucson. He saw drug deals. He's been in the Army, in many states where he's dealt with people from every walk of life. He's been to Afghanistan and been around the nationals. He knows people. I want my children to have life experiences. I cannot keep them sheltered with me 100% of the time, if I did, then when they are older and "flying away" their wings would be weak. They wouldn't go far and they'll come back to momma. I want them to have strong wings. Life experiences. People experiences. I want to raise adults. Not big kids. Like I said, I've been home schooled and gone to public school, my husband has been to public, private, and home schooled. I'm not saying one is worse than the other, it's not! I have many AMAZING friends whose kids are home schooled or in Private school and they are incredible, smart, loving kids. Joys to be around. For me and my house, this is what works for us, though.
We choose public school because I'm not a teacher. The thought of instilling knowledge into my children terrifies me. To be the sole channel of knowledge for my children.
We choose to go the public school route because it works for us. Plain and Simple. Isn't that what life is all about? Choosing what works for you and your family? Isn't that the beauty of America? Everybody from all different walks of life and experiences chooses routes that best work for their families.
God Bless America!
I personally had the experiences of public school and Home school. I was in public school until I was in 9th grade then from 9-12th I was home schooled. It worked well for me. I had the experience of public school, which I think is a great experience. Then I had the experience of home school which allowed me to study certain topics that specifically interested me, I was able to get a part time job, I was able to travel with my family and learn things that way. I couldn't be more pleased with how things turned out.
As a family, we choose public school right now. We choose public school from now until the unforeseen future. We do have plans to change districts at a certain time for our kids' sake. Now, will that change; possibly. It may. It may not. It's not something we are up late worrying about. When and if the time comes we will address it at that point. At this point in my life I am not a home school mom. *GASP* She said it!! I'm not. I'm a big enough person to say that I am a BETTER mom when I have time AWAY from my kids! *GASP* I can't believe she said that! Well, it's true! I am! I will ALWAYS be my kids' mom. I will ALWAYS parent my kids, but I am also a better mom when I have some time to myself. To delve into my hobbies and interests. Sure one can balance those with homeschooling but for me, in my life, I don't feel that I can do that right now. My husband doesn't work a normal 9-5, weekends off job. I carry a lot of the household duties and child care duties. I don't have the luxury to go off 2-3 nights a week for "me" time. Heck, I can't even find consistent time without children to go to the gym. I don't even have a solid block of time daily where everyone is asleep or having 'quiet time' I am literally mom from 6:30am until nearly 8pm. Constant mom. I need down time and school affords me that. It's what works for us. Now, that's not the sole reason we choose public school right now.
We choose public school because our children -are- exposed to things. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not tossing a baggie of weed to my 1st grader and saying "here try this!" nor am I condoning it. There are certain things I want my children to be exposed to. Cultures/beliefs/ ideas/people and then those things are brought home and it is then my job as a parent to explain the behavior or choices and guide them to learn what is acceptable in our house and what isn't. It's my job to teach my kids what -we- believe. They come home and we discuss it. We discuss what was seen/heard. We talk about how that lines up with what we believe, and let me tell you, My oldest is only in 1st grade but she is on point. She knows behaviors that are not allowed of her, whether she is at school, the park, or home, Words not allowed. Actions not allowed. She knows. And it's my job as a mom to reinforce that and let that grow inside of her.
We had an instance with my 6 year old where she had seen or heard something at school, can't remember which, and it was bugging her but she didn't want to tell me for fear she would be in trouble. What an amazing learning opportunity. I got to sit down with her and talk to her and explain to her that she will never ever, ever, be in trouble for asking a question. -Any- questions are ok to ask because that is my job to be here to teach her and grow her and share experiences with her. I'm not the type of mom that says 'ohh that's bad. We don't ask questions like that" I believe, at her age, it's all honest curiosity and if I don't address that and explain to her about it and tell her "ehhh that's not a good thing to say/do/think" she will take it upon herself to learn.
At some point in my childs life they will have to fly. They will have to fly away and know how to deal with people from many walks of life. They need to be able to relate and be friends with people from many cultures and places. The thing I love most about my husband is that he is able to be friends and understand -anyone- He grew up in the ghettos of Tucson. He saw drug deals. He's been in the Army, in many states where he's dealt with people from every walk of life. He's been to Afghanistan and been around the nationals. He knows people. I want my children to have life experiences. I cannot keep them sheltered with me 100% of the time, if I did, then when they are older and "flying away" their wings would be weak. They wouldn't go far and they'll come back to momma. I want them to have strong wings. Life experiences. People experiences. I want to raise adults. Not big kids. Like I said, I've been home schooled and gone to public school, my husband has been to public, private, and home schooled. I'm not saying one is worse than the other, it's not! I have many AMAZING friends whose kids are home schooled or in Private school and they are incredible, smart, loving kids. Joys to be around. For me and my house, this is what works for us, though.
We choose public school because I'm not a teacher. The thought of instilling knowledge into my children terrifies me. To be the sole channel of knowledge for my children.
We choose to go the public school route because it works for us. Plain and Simple. Isn't that what life is all about? Choosing what works for you and your family? Isn't that the beauty of America? Everybody from all different walks of life and experiences chooses routes that best work for their families.
God Bless America!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Tuesday's 10
At it again with Tuesday's 10!!
1. I LOVE planning parties! If I had unlimited resources I could plan one heck of a party!!
2. I love snow the day it falls. I hate snow the other subsequent days that it sticks around and makes my life difficult
3. In one month we will have been in this town and house longer than we have been ANYWHERE since 2011. That's sad.
4. Cooking is a labor of love. I love cooking. I cook for my family to show them I love them. If I have cooked for you... I love you. Cooking is how I show love. (baking also)
5. Fresh Mozzarella cheese makes me swooooonnn
6. I love being the first one to get Wesley out of bed because then I receive the first good morning hug.
7. Budgets thrill me.
8. Is it spring yet??
9. The 3 key broke on the keyboard. This makes me sad. 3 is my lucky number
10. I don't wear a lot of make-up because I feel like I look like a clown..and I hate clowns. True story.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Strong
I'm going to try to get back into this. A wise friend of mine has said 'You never know how far your pebble will reach" I don't know who I may reach or who I may impact with my words. I want to be an example. I want to say "LOOK! I did this! I got through this! YOU can too, because you are STRONG" I have amazing friends in my life who keep me going. Who spur me forward. Who are there to say "You got this!" when I feel that I don't. I am blessed to have these strong, amazing women in my life. I -need- them. They call me on it when I'm acting whiny. They lift me when I'm sad. They encourage me when I'm down and they rejoice with me when I rejoice! Everyone needs a friend they can go to when they need to hear real, honest advice..even when it may not be what they -want- to hear. I am blessed to have amazing, strong women in my life. I'm a strong person by habit. Not nature. I didn't used to utilize my "strength". I say "utilize" because I believe everybody has it inside of them to be strong butt-kicking women. You just need to awaken it!
Growing up I always had someone to "fix" things for me .I always had that person to make it better. I never had to stand alone on my own two feet. I never had to figure it out by myself. I'm not saying this negatively. It was fact. I am THANKFUL for always being taken care of. Then I got married and moved 500 miles away from my family. Yes I was with my "To be" husband but I wasn't with who I had always been with and it was a culture shock. I was in a huge town, compared to the small 40,000 people town I grew up in, Then, 3 months later my one solid "support", my husband, left for a year. I was alone and on my own, so to speak, everything left up to me for the first time in my life. I had to figure out how to do it all by myself. I had to figure out how life worked. I had no clue. I had to care for a household, pay all the bills, do everything, on my own when just 5 months before I had no rent, no bills except car insurance, and I had a family to lean on. I went through a time of huge depression. I had no clue what to do. I had people make fun of me because I was clueless. But honestly, I had never lived alone, nobody to fall back on, ever. I was really depressed and felt I had nobody to lean on. No support. I had no friends. No family. No husband. No clue.
I had to suck it up and be strong. I had to find ways. I had to ask questions with the chance I would get made fun of, I had to take chances, which totally went outside my comfort zone. I am an introvert. I don't like being made fun of or feeling embarrassed. If a person want's to alienate me the fastest then embarrass me in front of others.
You see, I'm not strong because I wanted to be. I'm strong because I -had- to be. I'm strong because it's a way of life now. Sure, it would have been dandy to have someone make me dinner nightly and fawn over me and rub my feet in the evening, and take care of everything, but that's not what I was dealt in life. I have it in me to be a STRONG warrior, I just had to awaken that. YOU do too! I wouldn't change who I am today for who I was. I know that I can survive anything. I can withstand anything. I can be anything.
You have the strength to deal with whatever is thrown your way. Find friends that uplift you and make you stronger. Ditch those that let you play "victim" too much. You need people in your corner. In your corner does't mean that they will always agree with you, it means that even when you need to hear the hard words they follow it with "I'm here. always. You got this" Because you do.
Growing up I always had someone to "fix" things for me .I always had that person to make it better. I never had to stand alone on my own two feet. I never had to figure it out by myself. I'm not saying this negatively. It was fact. I am THANKFUL for always being taken care of. Then I got married and moved 500 miles away from my family. Yes I was with my "To be" husband but I wasn't with who I had always been with and it was a culture shock. I was in a huge town, compared to the small 40,000 people town I grew up in, Then, 3 months later my one solid "support", my husband, left for a year. I was alone and on my own, so to speak, everything left up to me for the first time in my life. I had to figure out how to do it all by myself. I had to figure out how life worked. I had no clue. I had to care for a household, pay all the bills, do everything, on my own when just 5 months before I had no rent, no bills except car insurance, and I had a family to lean on. I went through a time of huge depression. I had no clue what to do. I had people make fun of me because I was clueless. But honestly, I had never lived alone, nobody to fall back on, ever. I was really depressed and felt I had nobody to lean on. No support. I had no friends. No family. No husband. No clue.
I had to suck it up and be strong. I had to find ways. I had to ask questions with the chance I would get made fun of, I had to take chances, which totally went outside my comfort zone. I am an introvert. I don't like being made fun of or feeling embarrassed. If a person want's to alienate me the fastest then embarrass me in front of others.
You see, I'm not strong because I wanted to be. I'm strong because I -had- to be. I'm strong because it's a way of life now. Sure, it would have been dandy to have someone make me dinner nightly and fawn over me and rub my feet in the evening, and take care of everything, but that's not what I was dealt in life. I have it in me to be a STRONG warrior, I just had to awaken that. YOU do too! I wouldn't change who I am today for who I was. I know that I can survive anything. I can withstand anything. I can be anything.
You have the strength to deal with whatever is thrown your way. Find friends that uplift you and make you stronger. Ditch those that let you play "victim" too much. You need people in your corner. In your corner does't mean that they will always agree with you, it means that even when you need to hear the hard words they follow it with "I'm here. always. You got this" Because you do.
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