First Day of Homeschooling

Day one of homeschooling and my mind is already contemplating how we could possibly afford private school next year. It is not the curriculum that is the problem as much as it is the behavior of the pupils. Emma, bless her heart, is my crier. She cries over the smallest boo-boo, slightest upset and when the world does not arrive to her service immediately. Yep, she's just like her mommy! But, I do think she is a better version of me.

So, to get back to my original point, dealing with behavioral issues was a drag. During "calendar time" we were singing the "ABC" song and Emma, apparently, did not want Sammy to sing, evidenced by her growling at him and then crying. Okay, so that is rather funny and I wish I would have had a video camera to capture Emma in all her feistiness.

On a bright now, we did get through today's curriculum and Sammy seems to enjoy it. We survived! And now, on the next 165 days! Lord help me!

Baking Before Bed (what can I say, I like using alliteration!)

As we speak, I am browsing online for something else to bake. I just finished making a batch of homemade Larabars (turned out just like the expensive ones you buy at the store) and I wanted to make more but since it is nighttime I fear that I may wake up the kids with the loud whirring of the food processor. Someday I will have a bigger house and be able to cook, bake and do whatever I want without fear of waking the kids. For now, I am just thankful to have a kitchen that is fun to hang out in (heck, I'm typing this in the kitchen right now -- how fun is that!). My goal is to someday become a great baker and an amazing cook. I would say I am a decent baker but my cooking skills could use an intervention.That Rachel Ray always makes it look so easy but when I step into the kitchen to attempt a new recipe I often feel inadequate and intimidated. One would think that after 3 years of dutifully watching the Food Network I would be a whiz in the kitchen, but sadly, not.

I just found my next recipe: Bowl of Oatmeal Muffins

In the words of Rachel Ray: "YUM-O!"

I know what we're having for breakfast tomorrow morning!

All About Kiddos!

All About Sammy:
- Loves animals, football, Toy Story movies, preschool time, going to childcare at the gym, and the zoo.
- Has known his ABC's & most of their sounds for awhile, but not real interested in learning how to read. Heck, he isn't even 4 yet so I'm not real worried about it.
- Counts to 15. He hasn't been real interested in numbers, so that has been slow-going.
- Loves to read with mommy

All About Emma:
- Loves to turn off the tv
- Soooo maternal. She carries around her babies, kisses baby Noah all the time, and will randomly give hugs.
- She is girly, bossy and a tough cookie. One time, Sammy was sitting in her seat and she grabbed him by the hair and pulled him out of it. But, she loves to have her nails painted, carries around a baby, a purse and is a total sweetheart.

All About Noah:
- Almost 4 months old and finally sleeps through the night. Will sleep from midnight to 6am, I'll give him his bottle and then he will sleep until approximately 9am.
- His favorite place to be is in mommy's arms
- I think he is my smiliest, chattiest baby yet.
- He is also my spittiest baby

Preschool Time

Last Monday, our preschool time at home began. My theme for the week was animals and we even took a field trip to the zoo. When he was 2, I became a "little" overexcited about teaching him at home and bought a stack of preschool workbooks! Something tells me that it will be enough for all 3 kids.I also purchased a special calendar for our "calendar time", musical instruments, Melissa & Doug Primary Lacing Beads, and a Leapfrog Tag.

We did not get to every activity I had planned, but I still think the week was a success. Part of the problem is time management. I try to be organized and developed a schedule but my follow-through is not 100% there. Hopefully, this week I will be more disciplined, but everything is on hold while Sammy gets through the stomach flu.

Calendar time! I realize it is not 2018...Sammy wanted to be teacher & updated the year for us!

Teacher Sammy

Story time! Sammy wanted to read the ABC Firefighter book

Let's Go Fishin'! One of Sammy's favorites!

Holding hands at the Oklahoma City Zoo! Awwwwww

Reminiscing

I was just reading posts from 2007 and I am so glad I have that time capsule of Sammy's early months. It really does go by so fast. Since Noah is our last child I have been trying to savor every moment. Even when he wakes me up at 3am I remind myself that this stage is going to be gone before I know it. Those 3am wakeup calls aren't so bad compared to the "joys" of cleaning poop off of fingers and walls because toddlers and preschoolers seem to think poop is the most fascinating substance in the universe. Maybe it's just my kids, but let's just say I have cleaned a lot of poop off of toys, cribs, furniture, fingers, faces, etc.

Two out of three kids have been sick this week so not much has happened. Sammy has soccer practice and then a game on Saturday mornings. Today, at his second game he scored two goals! Way to go soccer stud!

Sickness & Soccer

This past week we have been laying low because Emma has been croupy. Right before she came down with that nasty cold, Sammy, Travis and myself dealt with a nasty stomach virus. We also recently signed Sammy up for soccer and I took him to his first game on Saturday while Travis stayed home with Emma. It was a short game, but Sammy had a lot of fun and can't wait to play some more. I am glad that he doesn't have my shyness. I played soccer when I was five and instead of chasing after the ball I stood out on the field crying my eyes out. That was the end of my soccer season. I have never been the aggressive type but it seems that Sammy takes after his dad in that department.

After the soccer game I took Sammy and Noah to a park we have never been to before. It's on the shore of Lake Hefner and Sammy had a blast chasing after other kids. Noah slept in his carrier. Sammy makes friends wherever he goes and is a little chatter box. Often while we are in a store he will point to someone, often another child, and say, loudly, "Hey mama, what he doin'?" Or, he will make comments about people. Loudly. He's not shy, that's for sure!

Activities are somewhat on pause right now due to illnesses but, when healthy, the kids enjoy running around in their backyard, going to the zoo, playing with other kids at the YMCA while mommy works off baby weight on the treadmill, and checking out the local parks. I recently joined a mommy & child playgroup and found a Baptist Church for our family. We are getting settled in to our new home, containers still need to be unpacked and I'm working on becoming a better cook. I, of course, did not wait long to get a library card and already have a stack of books right next to me. They are mostly cookbooks and preschool activity books because, let's be honest, a mother of three itty bitties does not have much time to sit and read a whole book. What was life like before children? I can barely remember. I spent a lot of time reading, shopping and wasting time.Now, my days are full and busy!

Sleeping in his carrier

Noah Arrived!

Noah arrived on December 15th, 2011 at 5:50am. My contractions began earlier at around midnight and I was unsure if I was truly in labor because, in the past, my water would always break first. Since it was so late, and grandma would have to come over to stay with the kids, I wanted to make sure this was the real deal. I convinced Travis that it was the real deal and off we went to the hospital. The labor pains were easier to tolerate this time around, but I still got my epidural, and after 10 minutes of pushing he arrived! When he was first placed on my chest he wasn't breathing perfectly and a specialist was there to get him breathing better. Being that Travis is a Paramedic, he even got to assist with the delivery. Noah is perfect and reminds me so much of Travis! On a side note, I must have some weak genes because all three of my kids look like their daddy!



Emma loves her Noah & is upset that Sammy is holding him



As of today, he is almost 3 months old and such a joy! At 1 1/2 months old he started smiling all the time and I think he may be my smiliest baby (if my memory is correct). My first two started sleeping through the night by 6 weeks and he is still waking me up at least once a night for food. I would love to have a full nights sleep but with three kids fighting for my attention I see his middle of the night wakings as time I get to spend just with him. His favorite place to sleep is on my chest and usually that is where he is sleeping between the hours of 3am and 7am. I put him to bed in either his car seat, his second favorite place to sleep, or his crib but always ends sleeping soundly on his mommy. He really does not like his crib much but I know someday he will fully make the transition. I admit, I do enjoy our cuddle time at night!



Hello! From our backyard in Oklahoma City!



We also moved to Oklahoma City for Travis' Paramedic to Nursing program and will be here for at least a year. More on that later. That is, when I have the time to update my blog!