Our Decision On Homeschooling

  This year has been quite a struggle on my heart thinking about putting Tenlee into school. I have just had this weird feeling and would literally break down at the thought of putting her in kindergarten. I haven't been able to figure out if it is the "first child going to school freak out", or if it has been the Lord working in my heart. I have literally been going back and forth on what to do, and homeschooling has been on the back of my mind for quite a while. I know Tenlee will LOVE school, she is my social kid and thrives being around people. But there has just been something holding me back on putting her in a public school. Don't get me wrong...I am all for public schooling...I have never and will never be against it. But our world is turning into this place that makes me so fearful for my children and their hearts. I have never really been completely for homeschooling for many different reasons. But now as my daughter is approaching kindergarten, I am scared beyond my mind,when I look at our world and what is now the new normal way of living. And for our family, homeschooling seems to be the right way to go, at least for now. It is amazing how before you have kids, you think or even say "when I have kids I will never...", well that how is homeschooling is for us now.
   I have always felt the Lord lead me in certain areas of my life and I know for sure he is leading me to home school my kids right now. I am the type of person that gets very overwhelmed very easily. So as I started looking and educating myself on this idea I saw how much work was going to really be involved and it absolutely terrified me. I told myself, no, you cannot do this. Just send her to school and take the easy road. But about 10 minutes later I had this peace come over me and I knew the Lord was telling me it would be OK and I COULD do it. I have never been so sure of his calling then now. And that makes me so excited to start this journey with my little girl!

She got her first book in the mail for school. She was so excited! I 

had been hearing great things on this book so I thought we would try it out! 

We ordered her a board for the wall in the playroom and she was so excited, 

but when we got it I noticed it was bent and had a hole in it. So they sent us a 

new one and she was glad it finally came so daddy could hang it up for her!

Using her new school desk we got for her

I just love how this little corner turned out for her. Everything is just perfect! I like how it is a special place for her to be able to sit and focus, organized for me and big enough to include both kiddos. 

I have always wanted different curtains for the playroom, but just stuck with my free hand-me down ones for years. I found a great deal on some and absolutly LOVE the color. I love how it just makes the room look so warm and welcoming. Since this is a room that we will be spending a lot of time in, I wanted to make it bright and cheery!  

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered 

me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 1 Timothy 1:12

I saw this verse about a week ago and I think it is a great verse for me to memorize and always remember. I know this journey will be a very hard and a challenging one. But I know with all of my heart that Christ is calling me to start this journey so I can only rely and completely trust him as I start down this path. And also thank him daily for showing his way to me and for giving me this opportunity to teach my daughter through him. 

Our Little Monster Is 2!!

Good Morning birthday boy!

 He got cinnamelts for his treats and pizza hut for supper

 

 He loved his fishing pole from nana and papa

 

 He loves to open mail...when I go get it each day he waits

 by the door and asks to open it as soon as I walk in. 

We have always called Koop our little monter so a Monster Inc party seemed perfect for him!

 The kids and I had so much fun using their hands and 

feet to create a Mike and Sully for his party. 

 I was pretty excited that I was able to make his cake. I saw a picture of what I wanted and to save some money I decided to make it myself. I wish I would have felt confident enough to do the sides but I still love how it turned out. 

 He is addicted to bubblegum or as he calls it 

Bu-gum, so we had to have some at his party. 

 His new case tractor from mom-mom and pa

Kooper is 2!!

Oh this little boy is something else!!! He is my daredevil, my screamer, my fussy one, my snuggler, my rough house one, my not afraid of anything one, and just my all over BOY!!! And he is definitely my boy...such a mommy's boy:) But he is definitly starting to warm up to his daddy as well and he still loves his sissy. That is usually the first thing he asks about in the morning or after his nap. He is still taking one afternoon nap...it may be for a few hours and somtimes it is for just a half an hour and then he goes to bed between 8-8:30. He is still sleeping through the night and will get up around 7:30, but every once in a while he wakes up and wants his milk. It usually takes me a good hour to get him back to sleep. He is still incredibly fussy but now that he is talking he is getting slightly better. He is fussier when he has been gone from me, he gets super clingy the next day. And he love to eat so he gets fussy around lunch and supper when he is just ready to sit down and eat.  He is also quite the bully...he throws everything..when he is done playing with something he just chucks it (trying to correct that habit) and he loves to just jump on Tenlee or just hit her and run away as fast as he can (again, trying to correct that bad habit as well).

Within the past month he has really started talking... since he is starting later than Tenlee I really thought we would have some dutch talking going on. But he has really surprised me. Most of his words are clear to people other than Tyler and I. He definitely knows what he wants and he will keep asking till he gets it. Most of his words are starting to be 2-3 word sentences but he sometimes does bigger sentences. He also repeats EVERYTHING you say so its no wonder he is learning so quickly. 

Shoe on/off

More...(usually milk)

Want Some

Hi Mommy  (He typically says this when I surprise him into a room or he knows he is in trouble. He also says this EVERY morning when I go to get him from his room)

His favorites are: Sissy, mommy, his milk, his B's, food, music, tractors, frogs/bugs

He loves doing somersaults off of the couch

Being such a big boy at his first dentist appointment

He is literally addicted to his cup of milk, he carries it around like it is a pacifier or a blanket. 

This picture is going to haunt him when he is 16

He told me "cheese mommy"

Tucker is 4 Months Old

   Oh this little boy!!! I am just so madly in love with him!! He is the literally the best baby I have ever met..so happy, he is never fussy and he LOVES to sleep!! At the beginning of the month we were still putting him to bed around 9:30-10 but the past week he has been ready for bed around 8:30-9 and then he sleeps till 7-7:30. He goes all night but then wakes up and just talks and doesn't really wanna eat till about 15-20 minutes after he wakes up. He typically takes 2 long naps during the day. If he is super tired at night he sometimes fights going to sleep so we usually let him sleep till almost 6 for his late afternoon nap. He really doesn't have a fussy period, which is wonderful. He is actually pretty funny when it comes to crying. He has this super whiny almost loud talking cry that he does, and when he realizes no one is coming right away he will stop and just lays there and waits so patiently. The one thing he isn't a fan of is being on his belly when he is awake. He always crys when I put him on it. He has started rolling over from his belly to back, he doesn't do it a ton but we have caught him about 3 or 4 times so far. He is also starting to put his fingers in his mouth and has started slobbering like CRAZY!!! We have actually started using bibs because the tops of his shirts are getting so wet. His hair is finally growing back and is slightly lighter than it was when he was first born so I am anxious to see if he will have blond hair like the other two or be darker like Tyler.

 I finally videotaped him rolling over..this was right after he rolled over from belly to back.

He is starting to really watch where the action is at