Our Week In Pictures (with some captions thrown in ;) )

So we got this on Monday for free =)  A local church CDC wasn't using it, it wouldn't stay together well with so many kids on it.  However, it is perfect for my two =)

The pup learned how to fetch.

When Sissy fights a nap, this is how she does her coloring sheet/snack time while we do school.

Kade is reading more as the day passes. TONS for a four year old if I may say so!

This gray tree frog showed up on the barn & made friends with us.  First with me, until I could convince Kade that he wasn't gross.  Yes, I pick up slimy things for my boy.

Fred the frog became a BFF in minutes.

Biscuit Pizza.  MY picky eater LOVED it.

And here's proof.

SO, after many failed attempts to taking my child to have his teeth cleaned...SUCCESS!!  AND, not a single cavity!!

'

Wasn't even bothered with the dentist using the "scraper" to count his teeth.

He did receive a bribe toy.  Which was also partially given because of all of the new foods he tried this week.

The pup learned she's not a fan of goats.  And vice versa.

Burning leaves & the sunlight through the wood ceiling made for this beautiful picture.

I've gotten a tad behind on my blog.  But my child is learning so much, reading TONS of new words, and wanting more books to be read to him.  We are absolutely LOVING homeschool.  I feel so blessed to be able to see my baby learn and LOVE getting an education.  Thanks for reading ;)

An Update on Homeschooling =)

So after a month of homeschooling, we are LOVING it!! 

I've been pretty busy since we started last month so I haven't had a lot of time to update my blog.  But Kade is now reading 58 sight words out of his deck which we just whipped out roughly three weeks ago.  This past week he read his first book to me, then to his speech therapist =) Proud mommy moment!!  And not only reading, but also spelling these words. And he's also spelling words on signs and restaurants.  I love to read & write, so the fact that I've got my child excited about this and his education in general shows me that the sky is the limit!

This time last year, we were waiting to get a spot at therapy to get his speech to take off.  This year I have got him reading one month into homeschool, SUPER encouraging.  I was having doubts about whether he would succeed with me as his teacher.  This was simply due to the fact that I lacked support from so many friends and family.  We have time for school, therapy, drums & LIFE!! 

Thank you so much to my readers and to all my visitors from Bloggy Moms.  Show some love by following, commenting, etc & i'll return the favor.  

Judgemental Much??

Today I had an offensive article in my newsfeed as I scrolled through my Facebook today.  It read "8 Ridiculous Reasons Parents Homeschool Their Kids."  I am currently homeschooling my 4 year old and starting to transition my daughter into the mix as well.  I found this list rather judgemental.  

Apparently this woman has narrowed down the reasons why us homeschool moms do so.  I will admit, a few of them are correct, while others are ludicrous. 

I am very concerned that our country no longer wants God in our schools.  My son, who has struggled with speech problems, can tell you all about Jesus & Saul's encounter on Damascus.  He can also memorize his bible verses, and some of his favorite songs are the ones we sing at church.  My children will be raised in a Christian environment.  According to this lady, I'm a "nut" for this. She stated, "There are going to be a lot of places in life where your child shouldn't pray. Time and place, folks, time and place." Seriously? I refuse to send my child to a place where they aren't free to pray.  Jesus is the only hope we have.  He died for our sins, yet i'm wrong to say I don't agree with banning him from our schools.  No way.  This bothers me.  This woman must obviously need to strengthen her relationship with Jesus or seek salvation.  I would never send my children off to school and tell them, "Be sure you don't pray, you may offend someone."

I am just very offended that homeschooling parents are now just considered crazy & "ridiculous". My 4 year old is now reading 46 sight words, learning to sit still for lengthened periods of time, tracing VERY well, and writing and drawing better by the day.  I just ask that all of you homeschool moms, keep your heads up and ignore those who put us down.  We all have the right to decide what we want for our children, down to their education.  I will be praying for all of us, even if some think that we "shouldn't". Have a blessed day, ladies =)

A Bit Slack

So I've been a bit behind on writing just about life in general.  

Well this past month my husband & I decided we were tired of our living situation.  We own a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house that has been sufficient until recently.  A 21 month old & a 4 year old cannot share play areas in perfect harmony.  No duh, huh?  The fighting had gotten to the point that the kids spent more time in time out than they did actually playing at home.  My parents have land galore & all of the kids' yard toys anyhow.  Not to mention our land is directly in front of theirs.  So we decided to move on in with them.  We have been with them for about 4 weeks now.  The fighting has slowed down drastically.  

And I've always heard that moving back in with your parents once you've been on your own is the WORST idea.  Things haven't been picture perfect.  But it's over simple things like, "Why is the dishwasher running again?"  Seriously.  So happy with our current living arrangements.  We've also decreased some debt by turning off utilities.  Our dream home will be a reality as soon as our current home is sold or rented.

Another thing that has kept me from blogging as frequently as i'd like.  Sickness.  My children have had this horrible crud and have been so sweet as to share it with me.  Fevers.  Chest pain.  Horrible cough.  Sweet, huh?  Seriously i've been taking temps, wiping noses, cleaning vomit, administering meds, and sleeping in between.  For a month.  So glad it's nearly moved out of our home.  

We've also added a new family member.  She's furry, has four paws & bites ankles.  My kids are over the moon.  One trip to pick up a booster from my cousin & It was a done deal.  She is a lab/cocker spaniel mix and goes by the name Duff.  My son saw a dog named Duff on "Too Cute Puppies" and has been saving the name for weeks.  Anyhow, here's a picture of our new baby. 

And lastly, homeschool has been going AMAZING.  Kade is now reading 26 sight words.  I bought this deck of cards for $5 when I decided to homeschool.  It's a deck by Mead, includes 55 cards.  Kade is excelling in every activity & subject we have done so far.  He begs to do school, even when he's sick.  Just a quick update on school.  Thank you for reading!!

The Sunshine Award

The other day I was presented with The Sunshine Award!  This is an award given to a blogger from another blogger to show recognition for their work.  Melissa from Forever Fitting In (http://foreverfittingin.com/) presented me with this award.  I've never had the chance to meet her but WOW she has such an awesome story & is such an inspiration =) Being able to make such an impact & seek justice for herself and others is so awesome. So thankful for having been able to connect in the blogging world with her!

After receiving the nomination, the blogger must

Acknowledge the nominating blogger.

Share 11 random facts about yourself.

Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.

List 11 bloggers.  They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love!

Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate answer & let all the bloggers know they've been nominated.  You cannot nominate the blogger that nominated you. 

11 Random Facts About Me

1.  I was told at 21 years old, I had a slim-to-none chance of ever being a mother. I had MANY cysts on my ovaries as well as a small uterus.  A year after being told this heartbreaking news, I found out I was pregnant with my son =)

2.  My husband had a crush on me his senior year and never spoke a word of it.  He asked me on our first date 5 years after he graduated and we've been together ever since that day. 

3.  Playdoh & the smell of salt in the air at the beach are tied for my favorite smell.

4.  My children are my world.  They may drive me to the verge of insanity on a daily basis, but my life would be horrible and empty without them.

5.  I rededicated my life to Jesus last year and there hasn't been a day I haven't felt him with me.  

6.  Pixar, Disney & Marvel movies are my favorite.  True Story.  Having children has turned me into a bit of a softie.  

7.  I talk to my cat & treat her like I would a child.  I'm probably classified as a crazy cat lady.

8.  I've saved more than $1,000 this year couponing.  I havent' got to the "Extreme Couponing" ladies' level, but I plan to. 

9.  I've always wanted a Clydesdale.  I'm hoping I can eventually make that a reality, even if i'm slightly allergic to horses.

10.  My first job was at an outdoor produce stand at the Jockey Lot.  I wasn't the least bit sad when I got my first job as a Massage Therapist.  

11.  I used to be obsessive-compulsive about Ty Beanie Babies when I was in middle school.  It got to the point, I went and camped out with my parents & best friend at 2/3 AM in any & every weather to wait for sales that started at 8 am. 

11 Questions: (Nominees: Please answer these same questions)

1. What’s your favorite meal of the day? Supper. More extra hands to help with cranky, sleepy children ;)
2. What’s your favorite fruit? Watermelon
3. When you were five what did you want to be when you grew up?  A Vet, such an animal lover & still am to this day.  I have a dream of opening a rescue once my children are a little bit more grown up & independent.
4. What quality do you find most attractive in others? Ambition.
5. What’s your favorite sport? To watch?  Running for myself, Football to watch. 
6. Gold or Silver?  White gold.
7. What’s your favorite candy? Nerd)s.
8. What’s your favorite online shopping website? Amazon
9. What’s your pet peeve? It's a three-way tie between Arrogance, Laziness & Cheating.
10. Winter, spring, summer or fall?  Summer, Hands Down. 
11. How many pairs of shoes do you have? 10, mostly running shoes.

11 Bloggers::  Please Check These Ladies Out =)

I think, therefore I blog.      http://brooketimms0327.blogspot.com/

Baby Button Brown    http://babybuttonbrown.blogspot.com/

Our Brown-Eyed Girl    http://ylindo01.blogspot.com/

A Diamond in the Stuff      http://adiamondinthestuff.com/

Growing Up Madison    http://www.growingupmadison.com/

Candace Creates     http://candacecreates.com/

Tidbits of Experience     http://www.tidbitsofexperience.com/

Mom Behind A Blog      http://www.mombehindablog.com/

Simply Anchored       http://www.simplyanchoredblog.com/

Chicken Scratch.      http://www.chknscratch.blogspot.com/

In This Crazy Life      http://inthiscrazylife-bethany.blogspot.com/

We Homeschool.

Monday, I began an adventure with my sweet boy.  After much thought, comments supporting & disagreeing with my decision, and researching.  And we loved it.  My baby is tracing his name, numbers & letters very well.  He loves being able to cut things.  He loves being at home and being comfortable while doing school.  It's such a great feeling to be able to teach my baby new things, at home, and free of stress. And of course, we have bible time.  

We're just getting started, but we love it already.  I look forward to being able to share his progress as we go! 

My Son is a drummer...

This time last year, Kade couldn't speak in full sentences.  Thanks to dozens of horribly severe ear infections, he was unable to hear.  He understood his name, knew who his family was & knew what he wanted.  However, his lack of hearing lead to a lack of communication.  This time last summer, he had his first speech eval.  With speech therapy weekly beginning in October.  AMAZING things have happened.  My baby can talk...ALOT.  He's able to speak clearly, sing, pray & communicate in general.  

Last December, Kade sat at his cousin's drum set at Christmas.  It was over.  He insisted he wanted to play.  

Months went by, still he continued to say he wanted to play the drums.  I messaged my cousin's drum teacher.  He starts kids as young as 4.  He ended up getting an opening in April to get us started.  We got our practice pad and got to practicing immediately.

May rolls around. Once he began playing on the drum set, it was love.  He loved it that much more.  That afternoon, I met a lady on Craigslist who had a cheap set, and bought him a set for his birthday.

This past week, we've reached another milestone.  He's learning to cross his right hand over his left to play both the high hat & snare at the same time.  He also learned that he likes AC/DC because it's on Iron Man ;)  I have faith that between his love for learning & his love for the drums, I will be raising a full-fledged rocker!