She Sleeps

Right now as I type, she sleeps. I have to admit, for me, there is relief. We had another rough night. By far the worst we have had so far. Frustration overwhelms me. Not so much with her, but with me. I have no answers. Nothing I do works. I'm tired.

I have prayed, searched for solutions online, and have asked advice of others. It seems our situation is unique. No one has had the exact same obstacle to overcome. Yes, there are similar problems, but not exactly what we are going through.

I feel guilty. Not that I am not doing enough, but that I let myself get frustrated with the circumstance that is just part of the process. It's not her fault.

I am a fairly good mom, not perfect, but good. Yet, I fail to meet my own expectations. Or at least what I think a good mom should be.

Motherhood is not an exact science. Babies are not born the same. And there isn't always answers. But, what I can do is forgive myself in my shortcomings and trust God to bring me through.

"Those who trust in the LORD will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not get weak."    Isaiah 40:31

Wyatt Turns Five!

We had an awesome weekend, Saturday, Wyatt turned five! His choice of party: Super Hero. Before I get into the party I just want to say what a gift our sweet Wyatt has been. The last five years has been such a blessing. Wyatt has grown from our little baby boy to a smart little boy. Always having something to say and anything but shy, he keeps us on our toes. I can't believe how he has grown. He weighs about 40 lbs now, I can hardly lift him anymore, and getting so tall!

We got his party planning underway fairly easy. Sent out the coolest invitations ever:

Found this on Etsy at Suenios Encantados.  They did a fantastic job! But, I made a big mistake. I forgot to call the Clubhouse and reserve the date for his party. I remembered to call AFTER I sent the invitations! And guess what...they are closed for renovations for at least two weeks. So, I had to quickly find a new location for the party. After numerous phone calls we found that we could use our church for the venue! Perfect!


And so the party was moved to the Comins Mennonite Church. And there we began set up for our party! We had "Wonder Dogs" {Hotdogs stuffed with cheese wrapped in crecent rolls}, "Doctor Octopus Dogs" {Hotdogs cut in half and legs cut in one end to form legs}, and "Joker Juice." We had a Super Hero Photo Shoot. We popped Energy Capsules. And of course face painting!

{Energy Capsules filled with candy}

{Made with love by Aunt Jami!}

We made homemade comic book bunting and a city-scape made from poster board. And got a couple extra capes and masks from a shop called FunKidStuff.

I have to say I was completely exhausted afterwards, but it was so worth it! Wyatt had so much fun. And it was so nice visiting with everyone that came! I think it is safe to say Wyatts 5th birthday was a huge success!

Josie is 10 months old!

Josie is now 10 months old! Our little girl is growing leaps and bounds! She has had her third tooth just break through her gums up top. A week ago she stood up all by herself with out holding on to anything! A few days ago we got out Wyatt's push cart that he had before he walked, and Josie has started to use it!

Her favorite room she seems to be drawn to, mostly because it is forbidden, is the bathroom. We now have to keep the door closed. She is sensitive and easily frustrated. If she falls down or slips on something she immediately starts crying. Wyatt can make her cry at a drop of a hat, but that is only because he can't leave her alone.

There is nothing anymore that is safe from her. She is into everything! So unlike her big brother. She is a squirmy worm. She can't hold still. My biceps are well toned due to her constant squirms in Sunday school and in church.

We got her hair up in her first pony tail last night! It hard to believe how long her hair is for only being 10 months old.

We are finally getting into some sort of a nap routine. She is a tough one to get down. She has had a couple nights this week she slept all night. That was fantastic! I wish more nights were like that. It is sad they are so rare. She is still up three to four times a night. And she will not go back down with out nursing her back to sleep. Don't worry, I have tried everything else to no avail. 

We have introduced the sippy cup. She will chew on it and drink from it occasionally. I plan to breast feed up to a year so we are working on transitioning now. I think I am ready. The more teeth she gets the more reason to wean! Bites hurt!

Can't believe it, only two more months and she will be a year old! Yikes! 

It Came!

Our curriculum came! Wyatt was SO excited! Looking through the material so far I am impressed. Everything is laid out simply and even tells you what to say! Can't get much easier than that! We'll wait until fall to begin, but I have to say I am looking forward to it!

I will keep everyone posted on how things are going once we get started. Hopefully, it will go smoothly!

Let the Homeschooling Begin!

It's official! We have bought our first complete set of home school material! Wyatt will be starting his first year of school {Kindergarten} this fall! We went with A Beka's complete K5 curriculum after hours of research and reading reviews. The hardest part was decided which curriculum to go with. The is an OCEAN of options. Very overwhelming. What helped was knowing two other families who used the curriculum and loved it. I am both anxious and excited about the idea of homeschooling and even a little afraid and uncertain of my own abilities. However, "I can do all things through Him {Christ} who strengthens me!" Philippians 4:13

I have flip flopped so many times with the decision to home school.  It is a big decision and one we don't take lightly. There are several reasons that we came to this decision and reflects only what we feel is best for OUR family. Certainly I would encourage everyone to consider it, because I do think it is best, but that is for everyone to decide for themselves. And if you don't home school you will get no judgement here.

At some point we will send our kids to public school. But, before we do we want to give them a solid foundation based on our values and principles. That way when they do go to public school they will not waiver on their beliefs. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

We believe it is important that they do go to public school at some point for a couple reasons. We should be salt and light. We shouldn't hide it, but affect others in a way that may bring others to Him. Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown away and trampled by men." We should show others what it is like to live for Christ. We are to be a "light of the world" Matthew 5:14. Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven." Public schools are nearly empty of God. We can change that. We also know they will need to learn how to live a godly life in a fallen world. They will need to learn how to handle temptations and prepare themselves for what the world will throw them.

The benefits of homeschooling are numerous:

Flexibility in schedule
Set our own pace
More family time
More time for creative play
Save money on gas from drop off and pick-ups from school
Focus more on individual needs
Get to enjoy your kids at their best times
Can work on behavior more effectively
More time to focus on eliminating bad habits 
Family's get more sleep 
Don't loose valuable time because of travel to and from school
Instill your family values and principles
Know exactly what your children are being taught because your are their teacher

I still have doubts whether or not I am equipped to teach our kids. It is a huge responsibility. I have had incredible support from family and friends which has been an enormous help, and I know God will lead us through and guide us. I have also ordered our curriculum early enough to allow myself time to go over everything and prepare myself. By the time fall gets here, we'll be all set to go. Let the homeschooling begin!