Our Black Friday Trip ;)

SO, Today My Baby Girl turned 2.  I will post her baby story later tonight/early tomorrow.  She decided she wanted to go "Black Friday" shopping tonight with me at Goody's.  I got $248 worth of stuff for $78!! I had 4 coupons for 25% off a single item & a $10 scratch off given to the first 50 people in line.  I took advantage of sales big time, bought mine & Kade's sweaters & my boots for our family pictures Saturday, and just some play clothes for the kiddos.  Not too shabby ;)

I am thankful to be busy

I am thankful to be busy.  

I, like many others, took on the 30 days of thanks on FB.  I got to day 18.  I plan to catch up, seriously.  But these past few days, I have especially been thankful to be busy.  I have spent my weekend shopping for my daughter's 2nd birthday & Christmas.  I have spent LOTS of time with my family.  And I've spent my Sunday with my church family & babies.  I have more than 30 reasons to be thankful.  If I listed each person in my life I am thankful for individually, I'd be here literally all day.  Also for the opportunities.  But most of all, to be saved & know that no matter how bad I may mess up, Jesus loves me enough to die for me.  

So that's pretty much been my frame of mind this weekend.  I know i'm behind.  And i'm about to catch up.  But i simply have TOO many things to be thankful for =)

OT Today =)

Super excited mommy moment.  Today at OT my baby tried A TON of new things.

Mini Corn Dogs
Apples Sliced with Caramel
Green Beans
Cooked Carrots
Seasoned Potatoes

NONE of these things he's tried since he was eating them pureed as a baby.  He hasn't had any use for them at all.  Any attempts to talk him into eating them before today ended with a furious child and an exhausted mommy.  But today he just let go of his control & enjoyed himself!!

I just had to brag ;) Any mommy with a picky eater in OT knows what this kind of day feels like!!

And Another Update On Homeschool...and some new foods in the mix as well...

We are making more progress by the day.  The number of words Kade can read grows each day, as well as his ability to relate & apply them.  He is able to read (most of our books) for me when it's story time.  Another new development, handwriting.  It's gotten so much more legible.  He is so proud of himself for being able to write things out himself when commanded.  We have also been working on a lot of Social Studies & Science activities that are age appropriate as well.  

My proud moment of the week...Kade is eating Chicken Nuggets!! It started out Monday at Bilo when I suggested some Perdue Monsters University chicken nuggets.  He's on a Monsters Inc./Monsters University kick.  He said he promised he would try them if I bought them.  Going to OT has helped TREMENDOUSLY with adding healthier options to his diet.  But chicken suggestions used to bring on this reply: "I'm not going to eat a chicken, Mommy!"  Relating the food to the critter.  Lovely.  Not anymore, Thank Goodness!!  As soon as we got in from the store, I cooked a cookie sheet full of them.  He ate 2 his first attempt!!  And just today he actually asked for chicken nuggets & fries for lunch as soon as we finished school.  Being able to add onto his already expanding diet is a blessing.  His OT will be proud, she's SUCH an amazing woman & LOVES my child.  I love that she doesn't just see him as another picky eater, but she truly cares for him & doesn't push him to objecting point.  

Anywho, just wanted to update.  Thank you for reading! Have a great night ;)

Your Child Will Follow Your Example, Not Your Advice

I saw a quote on Facebook a LONG time ago that read "Your child will follow your example, not your advice".  Of course that is true, but i've never really felt like it was with my children being so small.

Yesterday I've found this to be entirely too true.  Yesterday was a Monday.  On Monday we have story time at the library, our weekly grocery trip, Homeschool & outdoors time.  Busy day, two restless little bodies.  Our morning storytime at the library, the kids were squirmy as usual.  The grocery store adventure made me cringe.  My daughter absolutely insisted on walking alongside me, rather than riding in the racecar buggy with her brother.  I was SO close to being done with my trip and of course the waterworks began and the screaming started.  I got frazzled and let her walk for a few before realizing that checking out with her on foot would be impossible to do with a smile.  I finally scooped her up, put her back in the buggy and before we reached the checkout she was all smiles again.  

My point is, I know being frustrated isn't a positive example to set for my children.  I'm only human, but I want to be more patient.  It's just gotten so much more difficult with my current health issues & upcoming surgery.  I'm sore if i'm breathing.  By the end of the day, I feel nauseated because I hurt so bad.  But I'm a mommy full-time nonetheless & it is my favorite and most rewarding job.  After all of the running for the day was winding down I caught my daughter playing "Mommy".  Her conversations with her baby went a little like this: "Baby, you leave your diaper on!", "Baby, you okay?", "Baby, you need a blanket?", "Baby, you cryin' all day.", "Baby, you want mommy?", and so forth.  And she changed her baby's diaper & clothes.  I see now that my directions such as "Don't bite", "Don't pinch", and so forth aren't as good as the examples I set.  She sees how I tend to her, what it takes to take care of a baby even though hers isn't real.  I see from this simple playtime that she sees and understands more than i thought a nearly 2 year old could.  

I want my examples from here on out to reflect a more patient mommy.  One who will chill out saying "Hurry" as much.  One who appreciates the fact that during homeschool she colors more table than paper because she's learning.  And one who never ceases to find an opportunity to say "I Love You" and let my children both know how proud of them I am.  Appreciate this time mamas, because little sure doesn't keep!!

Couponing on a Manic Monday

BEST Trip so far with coupons.  I had $5.50 in ECB.  And a recent addiction to Snickers Peanut Butter.  So I got 3 of the 4-go packs (Regular $1.87 each) for $0.11 today!!  My personal best since I really started couponing back in May. 

Then I managed to get a very decent haul from Bilo as well.

I Got::

4- 6 Packs of Ensure (Reg. Price: $35.96 for all 4 packs; Sale Price: $29.96; Price After Coupons: $23.96)

3 Packs of Little Debbie Santa Brownies (Reg. Price: $5.37 for all 3 boxes; Sale Price: $5.00)

10 Cans Paws Puppy Food (Sale Price for all cans: $7.00)

1 44 Count Pack Pampers Easy Ups & 1 Box Size 5 Luvs Diapers
       -Reg. Price Per Box: $16.97 
       -Sale Price Per Box: $14.97
       -Coupons: $2.00 Bilo Catalina off Easy Ups
                          $2.00 Bilo Catalina off Luvs
                          $10.00 Publix Coupon off 2 packs of Luvs or Pampers
       -Price After Coupons For Both Boxes: $15.94

3 Packs Pillsbury Crescents 

1 Jar Mama Mary's Pizza Sauce

1 Pack Southern Home Italian Shredded Cheese

Regular Price Before Coupons & Savings: $96.03
My Savings: $31.69
Total After Tax: $66.68

I was very pleased with my trips today.  I hope to eventually be a "crazy coupon lady".  I am NOWHERE near where I want to be still.  Most of my couponing has been put on hold since we moved 3 months ago.  Hoping soon to be able to get free groceries for us and my parents as well.  I'll keep you updated!

       

Our Week

It seems like as the days go by, I see more & more progress with Kade's homeschooling.  Not just being "that mom" who swears she can do this.  It is TOUGH.  At times I've wondered if I was capable of teaching him some of the things efficiently enough for them to sink in.  My baby boy is now reading 96 words.  Words like: yellow, must, why, who, little, funny, pretty, etc.  I have taught him using flash cards, made him spell the words as he goes, mixed up the cards in the deck so it isn't just a sequence memorization & made him read in beginner level books.  My baby can read!  Such an exciting time.  His handwriting is also improving by the day.  He LOVES doing the worksheets & games I pick and print for him.  I plan to write an entire post on all the reasons why I'm thankful to be homeschooling.  Because I'd be here all night if I started now! I'm just feeling very blessed to be this sweet baby's mama and teacher.  

This week at OT my baby & his sissy made bird feeders out of pine cones, suet, peanut butter & bird seeds.  We dug for the pine cones ourselves & only picked out good, firm ones.  They mainly did this because it's a new texture & it was fun.  Super fun activity and he loved to see them hung in the trees at home.  So excited to see the birds eating off of them & make more as we need them.

And a little update on my picky eater....he is now eating beef.  Tacos & hamburgers so far.  Salsa & cheese are a new thing as well.  SO PROUD!! He's come so far in just a few months.  But his OT ROCKS!!

As for me, I am having surgery in just a few weeks.  I've been having some pain, hormonal issues & come to find out I have a fallopian tube swollen up like a football, more ovarian cysts ( SHOCKER...NOT), they plan to check my appendix & do an ablation as well.  It's been a super eventful month with doctor visits galore.  But I am OVER the pain.  Who has time to be in so much pain when they have beautiful babies to raise?? Not this lady.  I'll keep you updated.

And I'm also planning Kyleigh's birthday party as well.  It will be just days before my surgery.  Which also happens to be the day of Christmas pictures with THE best photographers around =) Yes, I'm cramming all things possible in before I go "under the knife".

I just wanted to give some updates on our week ;) Hope you guys enjoy your weekend!!

A Lesson About Life & Death

So, at some point in time we know we will have to explain death to our children.  

This past week, I had to have that talk with my sweet Kade, who is 4.  

We let some of our rabbits out of hutches that were very worn down and had decided it was best for them to be free.  Well needless to say rabbits and goats don't share food very well.  We let the rabbits out last Saturday.  Wednesday morning when we got home from drums, I noticed two of the rabbits were laying in the same spot they'd been when we left.  I drove across the yard and jumped the fence.  I found one of the rabbits barely breathing, with some gashes on her neck (apparently from goat horns).  And the second rabbit was breathing fine and I didn't notice blood, so I let him be.  The rabbit that was bleeding passed away of course.  When my daddy got home, we found out that the second had his back legs crushed.  He could only drag himself around and had lost his normal aggression.  I called a vet, wondering if he would make it.  His outcome is good, we have splinted him (despite his efforts to chew them off).  He should make a full recovery.

As for the dead female, Ophelia, she had to have a proper burial.  I explained to Kade that she got hurt by the goats and had died.  I asked him what he thought happened when we died.  He was VERY quick to tell me, "Mommy, we go to Heaven to be with Jesus."  His certainty at such a young age makes my heart swell with joy!! My sweet baby knows that Jesus saves.  During homeschool, we read a lesson out of his bible storybook daily.  He is in church Sunday morning & Sunday evening.  He is blessed with awesome leaders at church who have made it SO clear to him that he is positive of Jesus' love for us.  He was still very confused about the fact that we couldn't go back to the hole the next day and get her out.  But then he insisted we would see her again.  

This lesson was MUCH easier than I thought it would be.  I know when it comes to a loved one dying, it won't be as easy to recover from.  But his faith will carry him through the darkest of things in life.  

Just wanted to share =) SUCH a proud mommy moment!!

Halloween 2013

We had MANY Halloween Festivities this year. Including a stomach bug that hit the night of Kade's First drum recital shortly after getting home.  But overall we had an awesome time. I'm a tad behind on posting.  And a tad behind on laundry as well but the stomach bug drug out for a week between the kids & us.  Anywho, here are pictures & the video of Boo In The Park =) 

HANDS DOWN THE BEST OT EVER. She has got my baby eating such a variety!