Apartment Hunting

Well we are in a very expensive apartment right now so we have been apartment hunting the past couple of months. We have to move mid October, and the search has been very slow going so it's good we started so early. I think we have decided on a place that is a step down from where we are, but also not the cheapest place in town. We were not really loving anything we were finding when looking for town homes, but we have decided we have to just go with a regular apartment. I love where we are, but I don't think I will hate where we are going so it will be OK. We also wanted to be somewhere that we would feel comfortable staying long term. We have made 2 moves in the past little over a year and it's too much already! Hopefully this place will be somewhere that we can stay until we either move away from the area or buy a home. The kids are doing great just gearing up for school to start. We are doing some new "life lessons" classes where we are going to teach the kids everything we want them to know before they move out. Simple things like how to mow, and edge a yard to more complex stuff like budgeting, investing, and saving. Julie is now working as a mother's helper, and will hopefully continue that through out the school year. We are hoping she will have enough experience that she can actually babysit when she is 12 after taking her safety, CPR, and first aid training classes. She is really becoming a wonderful young Godly woman, and we are very proud of her. Seth is starting to get a little stir crazy this summer, and is ready to start school so he will have something to do. He has really done a lot of growing, and maturing in the past year. Paige is.... well Paige. She is really starting the terrible two's stuff the past 3 or 4 months. Over all she is a good girl, but she really likes to see our reactions when she pushes our buttons! She knows how to use the big girl potty, but doesn't really want to yet so I am not forcing the issue. Some days she will go in the potty all day and some days she will only go in her diaper. I figured she is doing pretty good considering she is not even 3 yet. Peter is getting ready for his next semester of school. He isn't as excited about school starting as the kids are, but he knows it is what he really wants to do. He has become such a mature man that knows what he wants in life. Then there is me. I am just loving being at home with the children now that we are homeschooling. I didn't really like staying home before that change happened because I never saw any fruit to my labor. It was cook, clean, laundry, sleep, wake up and do the same thing again. Now I can actually see my children learning and growing intellectually and it is an amazing thing to watch. I get to be the one that they look to for answers, and knowledge and that feels great! Just loving life and enjoying this season of motherhood. That's all for now folks! See ya soon.

Camp Week

Well Julie is off at camp and we are just hanging out this week. To keep us busy through the week we are going to make some welcome home decor for Julie to see when she gets home on Wednesday. Julie has started being a mother's helper so she can get some experience for when she is old enough to babysit. She is very excited about it, and can't wait until she gets her babysitting training and CPR certification. I can't believe I am about to have a 6th grader, 1st grader, and pre-ker in my house! This year homeschooling will be much different than last year. I am excited to dive into the curriculum for the year though. The kids have been asking for school work as well. I would let them start, but for the review of last year I want them to do that right before they start this year's work. Seth is doing great health wise. He has been completely off all medications with the exception of the occasional precautionary doses for several months now. He is loving it! Paige is in the potty training process. She does well for a few days then really bad for a few days. I am not pushing it though. I figure a lot of kids are well into age 3 before they even start, and she is just 2 1/2 so we have time. Plus every kid is different. Peter is getting geared up for his next semester at school, and awaiting word on his discharge upgrade paperwork. We have been trying not to get our hopes up on an upgrade, but that is really hard! It would open up a lot of possibilities for our family if he gets it. I am doing my same old stuff just being with the kids and staying involved with church. I am not doing any classes again this semester and really in no hurry to go back. I want to finish my degree, but right now my kids need me more than I need a degree. I really don't plan to use it anyway I just want it so I can finish what I started. Ok well I guess that is my update for now. Peace!

Such is life

The kids are done with swim lessons, and Julie is about to be off to camp for a week. I have had my best friend and her daughter here for a few weeks now for a visit. Just a good summer being lazy and playing with the kids in general just hanging out. I am excited for school to start back in a couple of weeks. I have some great ideas and some new supplies to utilize so it is going to be a great school year. For now though we are just enjoying the time we have left with fun activities and pool time. This summer my children have been learning the wonderful art of sleeping in, and I have found that the later they sleep in the later I want them to sleep in lol. This morning 8 wasn't late enough although a year ago anything past 6 would have brought me great joy! They are good kids even if they don't stay asleep all the time. : ) Julie has started her babysitting training so it's only a matter of time before she will really be babysitting. My baby babysitting : ( she is so big! She is keeping track of her experience as a mother's helper this year and when she turns 12 she will be getting her first aid, and CPR certifications so that she can start babysitting without an adult around. She does so good with kids so I know she will be fine. We are starting work on a list of life lessons we want the children to know before leaving the house in a few years so that's a fun thing. Its actually exciting to teach them the simple things in life everything from how to handle finances and budgeting to how to vacuum and dust. We have a rather extensive list of things to teach them so hopefully we will get them done before they move out. Just 7 years and Julie will be 18! I can't believe it. Ok so that is my update for now. : )