It's going to get better.

It has been a while since I last posted... But wasn't intentional. Life seems to throw me curve balls when I am reaching the point of being organized. Usually it's just that something on a vehicle needs fixed, or one of the kids draws all over the walls so I have to re-paint. This time is quite different, though... I wouldn't have stopped blogging if it would have been as simple as that.


For a few years now (just over 2 1/2), I have been having severe upper abdominal pains. Going to the doctor and the emergency room revealed nothing but me being told that they can't figure out what is wrong with me, or that I have IBS (though I have none of the symptoms). Recently, though, the pains have been getting worse, and I really started to worry about the possibility of having severe pains when my husband is at work and I am at home with the kids. The pains are so excruciating that I can barely function, so taking care of the kids would be like trying to cut quartz with a butter knife. I thank God that I have only had minor episodes while my husband has been at work.


I finally gave in and decided to try a new doctor, hoping that they would be able to find something that the others couldn't. I had many tests run before... Mainly x-rays and blood tests, though. When I went to the new doctor and told her about my problems, she sent me to get an ultrasound the next day. After I had the ultrasound, I was told that I would get a call from my doctor the next day, when my results would be ready. I didn't expect to get a call from the hospital the same night, giving me the number to a surgeon because I have multiple gallstones, and need to have my gallbladder removed. 


I have to call tomorrow to schedule my surgery. I am thankful that I finally know what is wrong, and that the pain will finally be gone after a minor surgery. I am still nervous, though... Being put under so I don't know what is going on and being cut open are two things that just don't sit right in my mind.


I keep reminding myself, though, that this is the best thing for me to do... For my family (so I can take care of my kids and not have to worry about pains), and for my health. It's going to be difficult for me, but I am putting my faith in God that He will bring me through safely, and thanking Him that I finally know what is wrong.


I had better get to bed now... I'm still in quite a bit of pain from the tech having to press into my side fairly hard while she was doing the ultrasound, and I am tired from all of the stress (and the fact that my youngest kept me up until 3 am last night). I hope that everyone has a great night, and an even better tomorrow.

A productive day

The kids take their school work very seriously.

Really, they do.

They are always completely focused on their work.

And they never goof off.

Especially not because Mommy just grabbed the camera.

We did manage to get a lot of work done tonight, but we made sure to take some extra goof-off breaks because I was so tired, and because the kids were so full of energy. They do really well for their ages... They can work for about an hour before they get fidgety and need to take a break. 

All in all, today was a good day.

I managed to get cleaning done while the kids were awake (and it stayed clean).

I didn't get burned by the "grease" popping when I cooked bacon.

The toy box was only dumped out in one spot on the floor, rather than the contents being strewn all over the house.

The kids went to sleep fairly easily.

And it looks like I may be able to get near a full night of sleep tonight.

Well, one can hope.

It's more common than I thought

When we started this school year, I began to realize something rather unsettling. Even though the kids retained most of the things they were taught last school year, they had forgotten some of it.
After wondering if I had done something horribly wrong, I started thinking back to my childhood, and what I did in public school. At the beginning of each school year, we had a few weeks of review. It was because we had spent all summer slowly forgetting some of the things that we had learned, or stuffing it in the back of our minds so we could learn how to do cat's cradle, play four square, or some other random tidbit. We had to be re-taught or reminded of the things we had forgotten.


With all of this in mind, and the challenge of re-teaching the things that my kids had forgotten while teaching all of the new things as well, my husband and I made a desicion.

We are going to do year-round schooling. No Summer vacation, no Spring break, no extra days off for holidays. 5 hour days, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. The only days the kids will have off of school are the days that Daddy has off of work and days they are sick.

This will benefit in other ways as well... We will well outdo the state requirements for how many hours a year a child has to be taught when not in public school. I will have no worries about rearranging my schedule at the beginning of the school year. And, I will not have to explain why they stop learning at a certain point, then start again a few months later.

I know it will be a struggle once they reach the age where they realize that other kids get long bits of time off of school, but by that age, they should be able to understand that it is more beneficial for them to have it this way. And with the fact that we can rearrange our daily schedules to fit in any extra activities, they still won't miss out on having fun with their friends.


I love having so many options in the way that my kids are taught. I can't thank my husband enough for letting me know years ago that he would like for our kids to be homeschooled. The extra quality time and one-on-one time with the teacher make all of the extra work and time spent well worth it.

This... And that... And this... Oh yeah, and that too!

Go figure, I did it again. I had planned to go to sleep an hour (or less) after I put my kids in bed, but did I?

Of course not. Though my kids are all at the stage where they sleep through the night, apparently having them so close together has made me sleep as full of a night as a 4-month-old. Every time I headed for bed, I found something new to take care of. Clothes, toys, a random piece of paper... A million little things that seemed to be there just to keep me awake. By the time I was done, I realized... I'm only going to get 5 hours of sleep.

And that's what I got. 

So once again, caffeine is my best friend.

As I mention my kids, I realize that I haven't said anything about them other than the fact that we have 4. I guess I should take this time to introduce them.

(Please excuse the bad quality of this picture... I am hinting for a better camera for my birthday.)

First, we have Jimmy. He is the oldest of our kids (6 years old), and is a kind-hearted and very responsible little boy. He loves doing anything that Daddy does, and gets frustrated very quickly if he doesn't do something perfectly (he gets that from me). He's always there to lend a helping hand, especially when it comes to helping his younger sister (the oldest of our 3 girls) with her schooling. He is excellent with math (he has been able to do addition problems in his head since he was 5).

Next, we have Ashley. She is the oldest of our girls (5 years old). She is a very, very sweet kiss-hug-and-cuddle type of girl. She won't go more than 10 minutes without loving on one of us. She wants to help Mommy in the kitchen and with anything that has to do with housework or taking care of the little ones. She's a very girly girl... Her favorite color is pink, and she doesn't like to wear anything but dresses and skirts. She is excellent with Language Arts (she is doing the same work in that subject as my son, and actually jumps ahead on her own, simply by hearing something once).

Third, we have Beth. She is our middle girl (3 years old). She is very independent. Anything she can do by herself she wants to, and if you try to help her, she will clearly let you know that she doesn't want any help. She is quick to pick up on things... Just from being with our older kids when they are being taught, she has learned most of her colors, can count to 13, and knows how to write and recognize a few letters and numbers. She is always looking to help... Whether it is throwing something away, getting something for me, or giving hugs and kisses when someone gets hurt, she willingly and excitedly does it all.

Lastly, we have Lilly. She is the youngest of them all (1 year old). She is very silly, just like her dad. Anything she does, she does with a smile. She has an amazing ability to make people smile when they are down. She is learning quickly, and amazes me at times (yesterday the kids were playing with my dustpan, and when I couldn't find it, I asked where my blue dustpan was... She immediately went and got it). She wants to do everything her siblings do, but still shows her baby side sometimes (mainly by refusing to take a nap, then falling asleep sitting up). She likes to cuddle, but only when she feels like it... Other than that, she wants to run and play.

To describe each of them in one word, I would say:

Jimmy - Helper

Ashley - Loving

Beth - Independent

Lilly - Cheer-giver 

(Yes, that last one was two words, but I smushed them into one, lol.)

Well, there's my family in a nutshell... I'll get to my husband later. For now, I'll just say that I couldn't have asked for anyone better to be with me through life.

My favorite *free* homeschool sites

I dream of the day that I can afford SonBeams, LifePac, or A Beka curricuum for my children. Finances will not allow for it this year, though. I refuse to give up on homeschooling just because we've hit a bit of a stumbling block, so I've done my research, bought more early reader books on eBay than I probably should have, and found many free resources online. 


Here are a few of my favorite sites:


Free preschool and Kindergarten printables
NickJr.
School Express
DLTK - Connect the dots
Christian Preschool Printables
ABC Teach

Free preschool and Kindergarten learning games
Starfall
Educational Freeware  (some games are not compatible with newer systems, such as Windows 7)
PBS Kids
Sheppard Software


I do have many, many more links, but I will save those for another post.


I have already let my husband know that I am planning on buying SOS (Switched On Schoolhouse) out of our tax money when the kids reach 3rd grade. I can work with free resources until then, but once they reach 3rd grade, it will be much harder to find everything that I need to teach them properly. For now, though, we're just enjoying our time together and thanking God for the free resources He has supplied for us.

Satisfaction : Possible?

It amazes me what it takes for some of us to feel truly happy. We are always yearning for more.

More money.

More clothes.

More shoes.

More channels.

More internet speed.

More quiet time.

More movies.

More gadgets.

More... More... More.

I admit to wanting quite a few things... New furniture, new appliances, a vacation, an add-on room to set up as a school room, and a few other things.

But, as I look at my children and what they want, I feel myself being needy.

My youngest just bumped her head, and all she wanted was a kiss on the "owie" and to have her hair "pet". My son and oldest daughter want to "learn" (school work... They just can't seem to get enough, and beg me for extra work every day, even when they have done 6 hours already). My middle daughter wants me to sing. Any song she hears, she wants me to sing.

I need to resolve to want less. I need to resolve to want more important things. Things that are as important to God as they are to me.

I want:

More knowledge of God's word.

More patience.

More love for others.

And less desire for physical belongings.

Striving to be better

That is what I remind myself of daily. Sometimes life can seem out of control, occasionally even seeming like we are "scraping the bottom of the barrel" for our last bit of strength. But sunshine always comes... A fresh light that shows us why things have happened the way that they did. That's my life. Either my strength or my patience seems to be stretched almost all the time. I'll admit that I get frustrated... But I have to remind myself that things could be worse, and that God has a reason for it all.

He had a reason for me getting pregnant at 19 when my husband and I had just decided to wait until our mid-20's (25 to be exact) before we had any children. I was worried about taking care of a baby. I had never held one before, let alone fed a baby, changed diapers, or been woken up in the middle of the night by a baby crying for their binky. Now we are blessed with 4 beautiful children, and I couldn't be happier. Looking back now, I still see reason for my worry, but I do wish that I would have taken more time to enjoy my pregnancy... Enjoy the amazing life that God was creating and growing inside of me. Now I cherish every moment... Even when my patience is stretched, I look to the fact that God trusted me with these 4 precious lives. Me... The girl who grew up not wanting to have children. Me... The woman who can't even find her own socks at times, or remember where she put her spoon (which usually turns out to be in my hand).

I also wondered why my house was destroyed by a tornado when I was a teen. Rarely did I think of the amazing fact that I was alive. I just kept thinking of how tiring it was going from the house to a hotel room every night, or how frustrating it was living in a garage when most people have a house with a kitchen, bathroom in the same building, and a bedroom in it. Little did I realize that God was working a miracle through that tornado... A miracle that would be with me for the rest of my life. My next door neighbor and his youngest son came to check on us after the tornado, and helped us move things from the roofless house into our garage. A week later, I went on a "date" with the neighbor boy (to his brother's house to listen to them play some music). Not too long later, we were engaged, and then married. Now I look back and think of how amazing God is... He turned a disaster into the biggest blessing of my life. Out of a tornado came a husband and 4 children... Now that's something to be thankful for.

Now I am a happily married mother of 4, and enjoying every day. I am blessed to be a homemaker, and to be homeschooling my children. Every day comes with a new challenge, but we make it through, and are stronger for it. When life tries to knock me down, I just remember a story that my husband's mother told me about his grandmother... That blessed lady was having a very rough day, and when she already felt like she been through everything she could handle, she dropped a bowl on the floor. Instead of yelling, crying, or giving up like most of us might do, she thanked God for giving her the ability to get down and clean it up. Now that's faith. Instead of giving in to the frustrating circumstances that kept coming her way, she praised God for Him helping her to get through.

That's what I want to be like. I live my life every day hoping to be more like my husband's grandmother, and my other role model, Michelle Duggar. Both are very strong women with faith that stands any test. They have patience to see any situation through, and a heart that is open to loving and cherishing anyone who comes their way. They truly are the virtuous women that the Bible speaks of... And the type of woman that I strive to be.