update

January Update 2011

January 16, 2011 by Dana

Update:
The past few weeks have been super busy for us. We’ve had tons of company, Christmas, birthday, New Years, more company and now this weekend a sleep-over birthday party for the boys. It’s kept us going for a while now.

The next few weeks should bring us a much needed break before yet another birthday party comes. I am thankful since I’m pretty exhausted from this extreme busy-ness of life. The social aspect weighs in heavily, on both good and bad sides. The kids enjoy being around others but after a while they grow tired and ready to return to our normal slow and comfortable life without all the hoopla and excitement this time of year brings, until Summer comes around and the active fun starts up again.

This week the kids have an appointment with a local doctor’s office. They haven’t been in quite some time, mostly because they just weren’t sick and it’s hard to find a good office these days. In fact, I’ve pretty much been the only one who’s been terribly sick in the past few months but I’m happy to say that my never-ending cold seems to have finally gone away. Anyways, the kids are doing great but I felt it was time for a permanent doctor and not an ER one. I have some things to discuss about Laycie’s speech, Emma’s bedwetting and Winston’s sudden onset of ADHD symptoms, which are probably contributed to hormone changes now that he’s turned 10. I’m sure these will be relatively easy things to cover at our visit this week and I will be happy to know the answers to these plus a couple of other questions I have.

I recently downloaded a free program that I hope is the key to improve Winston’s reading skills. I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet because of our busy weekend but I’m excited to get him started. It involves a lot of listening and interaction that I think he will find simple enough to grasp but enjoyable to get him where he needs to be in Reading. I also plan to use it with Emma to increase her reading skills but she does pretty well with reading already.

I’ve started bedtime prayers with the kids again. I don’t know when I got away from them but somewhere along the way they have been pushed aside. I bought a devotional to do with them and we do it in the girls’ room everynight. They really seem to enjoy it. I know I do too.

I have a lot on my mind tonight. My original intention was to come here to blog about family or something else I can’t get out of my head right now but I hear the Lord telling me to wait, to listen, to be patient and faithful and full of Grace, to let go and move on and let Him (the Lord) handle this. My heart weighs heavy, yet happily inside of me. God will make this better, as He always does.

I’m excited my kids have had a wonderful weekend, that life is looking up for us and that I see happiness in their faces most days. I know they are Home here. They grow in Love here, though it’s not always perfect. ButI know God is proud of me, of us and for that I am most thankful. Till the next time…

An Update {October 21, 2010}

October 21, 2010 by Dana

Lately there is just so much on my mind that I cannot even grasp and hold onto one thought or function in my daily life. I’m lucky to remember to cook, do the dishes, feed the kids, and homeschool. I feel pulled in so many directions and within minutes I forget which direction I was heading to in the first place. My days are filled with prayers on the issues clouding my mind, prayers for my family, my home, my children, my life and so many others too.

I find it astonishing how quickly Peace in your heart can slip away and become clouded and consumed by other worldly things. I miss the Peace and I’m fervently searching for it to return to my heart.

I’ve tried for over a week just to write a new post for this blog, other than sharing one of the wonderful giveaways from dear friends. I have thought of a hundred separate ideas to write about but when I come to put the words into form, they do not come. There is so much I want to do, yet never enough time.

These are the things we have been up to:

Recently, I located some old friends, and I am happy to have those who have chosen to be back in my life. Always a welcome blessing to find those you love.

The kids have been doing a lot of video schooling thanks to the wonders of the HDMI cable that allows me to hook the laptop to our Viera TV. They have a hard time grasping that they are really doing school though, as they relate school to worksheets, books, paper, pencils, crayons and crafts. “If we’re not writing, we’re not learning, Mom!” It’s hard to de-school the public influence from homeschooled kids.

I’m reading two wonderful books: Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado is a Christian book explaining how to live your life to the fullest. The House That Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark is an excellent self-help, housekeeping guidebook with many tips on home management and organizing. Look for great reviews on both these books coming soon.

I’ve re-joined Flylady and I’m in a group on The Homeschool Lounge called Home Management in order to overcome the Chaos filling my house. Both are helping through supportive relationships and small steps, I am really getting somewhere.

The kids are doing AWESOMELY on actually cleaning up after themselves. Sometimes it takes some extra prodding, repeating and downright begging to get them to clean up but they are getting better at the actual getting it straight each day. I’m really proud of them and I can see how much they are maturing every week. Winston has always been a big help with things but this is a HUGE achievement and accomplishment for my born disorganized baby girl, Emmalee.

Laycie is now taking Melatonin to help her sleep and it’s working wonderfully. I give it to her at lunch time so she can take a much needed afternoon nap and again before bedtime so she can fall asleep easily. She no longer argues about going to nap or sleep and she’s out within 30 minutes of taking the medication dose. This has improved her attitude, clingy-ness and her overall behavior tremendously.

Laycie’s naptime allows us to do school and allows me to make a late lunch, prep for dinner and do household chores that can’t be done while she’s awake. This schedule is new for us but so far it’s working great!

I know much of my exhaustion and confusion comes from weeks of Laycie not napping and feeling overwhelmed worrying about her, and trying to keep up with her tiring ways. She’s only been on the new medicine for a week but the changes it has brought to our life are amazing. I’m hoping her resting will also allow me to rest so that I can straightened my overburdened mind and get our life back on track. I guess that’s something only time will tell though.

Many blessings to all until next time.

Busy Days

September 24, 2010 by Dana

I haven’t had much time to update our blog lately. I’ve been working on a full home organizational makeover. I’m hoping to have it all finished soon, if life will stop throwing stones in my path.

Thus far, I have cleaned out the kitchen and reorganized our communication area. I’m using a menu plan for daily meals now. I’ve gone through about 75% of our clothing, put some on Ebay and donated others, as well as putting away the items that Laycie will grow into.

To do on my list is to put the classroom back together, organizing the bookshelves, and going through all of the kids toys. I also want to decorate for fall in the next week or so.

I’m extremely happy that I have a replacement usb cord for my camera so now I can take new pictures for both home and this blog. It’s the little things that keep me happy.

I was sitting around thinking the past few days that I’d also like to get back into reviewing, just to give myself something to do for fun.

So that’s what’s going on with us now. Hopefully, I’ll have some great future updates coming soon.

An Update: March 31, 2010

March 31, 2010 by Dana

Lately I have had a bit of writer’s block. I am not sure why, just in a bit of a funk. Woke up this morning feeling like I am getting a stomach bug, though I certainly hope not.

The older kids are on Spring Break this week. They are staying with their aunt, uncle and cousin. Things like the park, church and Chuck E. Cheese were on the Fun Agenda for the week, not to mention the Wii and other video games galore, so I’m more than certain they are having a great time. 🙂 I miss them like the dickens.

So, it’s just me and the Laycie Boo, keeping each other company this week. She is currently interested in loving babies, which is sweet to see. She tugs around her little doll and her bear from her hospital stay when she was 4 mths old. She feeds them, holds them, kisses them, tucks ’em in, sings to them and will not go to sleep without them next to her. It amazes me how someone so small can understand so much love and I’m thankful that she has learned that love from me and the world around her.

Starting tomorrow I am taking away the paci again. I had given it back to her when she began developing serious winter colds to help her open her mouth for breathing. For her it works. But now that cold season is over, it’s time to take it away again. Besides she has begun chewing them like crazy. Major no-no.

I’m reworking the classroom/dining room this week too and trying to find some bits of spring to spread throughout the house. I moved the bookshelf from our hallway into the classroom to put all the books in one place and give a little extra room for paper and crayons. I’m threw with the “this is for school” battle I previously had going with Miss Emmalee and have decided to make these things accessible for her creative needs instead so long as she continues to clean up her mess and stay organized (so hard for her and me too). Tomorrow the kids computer desk gets a revamp, poor unknowing thing!

I’m trying to get into Spring Cleaning but this inpending feeling of coming down with something is trying it’s best to prevent my Spring-like efforts and the lovely layer of pollen coating all of our yard isn’t helping much either. I’m a fighter though, so we will see who comes out on TOP in the end of the Spring Wars. Probably, Spring itself – just saying, Mother Nature is much bigger than little ole me! LOL