We survived our first semester homeschooling. It went well other than the every day shock that we were going to do school each day. While some people loosen up when that kind of pressure is on, we did not because having something for them to do each day was better than them having nothing for days.
The nice thing about being in El Paso has been the weather. We have had small boughts of cold weather making it so the kids can't go outside, but for the most part many afternoons are just spent outside playing.
I like having the kids at home and other than a few small complaints I think the children like it better as well. Zachary would like more friends, which has been a struggle between me being sick from being pregnant and co-op being during nap time so that we skipped out on it. He does have the one little neighbor boy that he plays with when he's not grounded (usually for attitude) so he could play more if he kept his attitude in check.
Zayden has proven to be the most difficult, but he was the one I didn't want to homeschool the most. But at the same time feared which course of the path he would follow if continuing in a public school. He's easily persuaded to make bad choices, bully others, and be that trouble maker. He is however learning and we're working through it. He survived the semester as did I so we're getting somewhere. Hopefully he'll catch on about how easy homeschooling will/can be as we continue on. Then he should be able to have more independent studies like Zachary, however I do know he's sneaky so he will have to be more monitored.
Zavier other than being Zavier and in la la land a lot does wonderful at school. If I can devote my mornings about an hour he's usually done and can more on to other activities for the day. He still usually won't help clean up and is good about slipping out of responsibility, but maybe as he ages that will change a bit.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
The ups and downs
Of the lovely pregnancy hormones. It is now affecting my sleep as I can't fall asleep because I worry about the silly things moms usually worry about. Like are my children feeling loved, did I yell at one too much, am I just ruining them? Whatever the thoughts are they keep me up and force me to lose sleep, that is already precious to me. It was also a long weekend with Thanksgiving and Tony spend 24 hours sick so when he napped I had to nap cause I was out of things to do.
The kids are doing fine in school, other than the constant fighting they do with each other. Last week Zachary "accidentally" hit Zavier in the face with a chair which left it super swollen for 2 days and for the last 3 with a bruise from is eye down his face and across one cheek. Getting them to keep their hands and actions in check is still a long work in progress. However I'm not sure it's any different than anywhere else.
Zachary has finally figured out that if he gets the teacher's book reads through the list of assignments and gets them done, he can be done for the day. He will sometimes pass the assignment info onto Zayden, who does most of the same foundational work. He then usually has the most free time to do as he wishes. Zachary is lacking a few hobbies to keep himself busy and out of trouble though so we'll have to work on that.
Zayden is the one I struggle most with. He absolutely flips out when given instructions to do an assignment, even if it is something he's familiar with. We have started a new reward chart so hopefully that will get us somewhere closer to controlling our reactions.
Zavier does well when he can focus on what his tasks are. He does better with things he has to interact with. He really wants to play on the computer so we're going to add that as his reward for completing work in a timely fashion. He also needs to work on keeping his hands to himself.
Zander still just does what he wants. He's been gluten free for several weeks now and that has helped his tummy troubles he was having. I now feel he needs to be milk free as a big glass of milk upsets his belly, but emotionally I'm not sure he can give up his chocolate milk routine in the AM. We have been using Almond milk for a while and he will drink some of that, just not sure he's ready for a whole cup of that.
Abbie is a very busy, naughty toddler. She is always doing something, majority of the time it is stuff I wish she wasn't doing. She is very verbal and is quickly developing new words and phrases. She for the most part won't let me give her a sippy cup, which is fine other than she likes to wander around with an open cup of milk. But she is the light to several of the bigger boys and to her parents as she's so cute when she "practices her naughty skills". She has been a real life changer. :)
Baby #6 is still baking and a very busy little thing. We hit our 3rd trimester this past week so it will be over soon. We still don't know what baby is, but Zavier and Mommy say boy and everyone else says girl. I don't care either way, I just like to give them a hard time so I call it a him and daddy calls it a her. We will see in March.
The kids are doing fine in school, other than the constant fighting they do with each other. Last week Zachary "accidentally" hit Zavier in the face with a chair which left it super swollen for 2 days and for the last 3 with a bruise from is eye down his face and across one cheek. Getting them to keep their hands and actions in check is still a long work in progress. However I'm not sure it's any different than anywhere else.
Zachary has finally figured out that if he gets the teacher's book reads through the list of assignments and gets them done, he can be done for the day. He will sometimes pass the assignment info onto Zayden, who does most of the same foundational work. He then usually has the most free time to do as he wishes. Zachary is lacking a few hobbies to keep himself busy and out of trouble though so we'll have to work on that.
Zayden is the one I struggle most with. He absolutely flips out when given instructions to do an assignment, even if it is something he's familiar with. We have started a new reward chart so hopefully that will get us somewhere closer to controlling our reactions.
Zavier does well when he can focus on what his tasks are. He does better with things he has to interact with. He really wants to play on the computer so we're going to add that as his reward for completing work in a timely fashion. He also needs to work on keeping his hands to himself.
Zander still just does what he wants. He's been gluten free for several weeks now and that has helped his tummy troubles he was having. I now feel he needs to be milk free as a big glass of milk upsets his belly, but emotionally I'm not sure he can give up his chocolate milk routine in the AM. We have been using Almond milk for a while and he will drink some of that, just not sure he's ready for a whole cup of that.
Abbie is a very busy, naughty toddler. She is always doing something, majority of the time it is stuff I wish she wasn't doing. She is very verbal and is quickly developing new words and phrases. She for the most part won't let me give her a sippy cup, which is fine other than she likes to wander around with an open cup of milk. But she is the light to several of the bigger boys and to her parents as she's so cute when she "practices her naughty skills". She has been a real life changer. :)
Baby #6 is still baking and a very busy little thing. We hit our 3rd trimester this past week so it will be over soon. We still don't know what baby is, but Zavier and Mommy say boy and everyone else says girl. I don't care either way, I just like to give them a hard time so I call it a him and daddy calls it a her. We will see in March.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Waiting on #6.
That's right we are waiting for baby #6 in the spring. We had our anatomy scan on Friday and there is is one healthy little baby swimming around in there. We decided to go team green, which means we don't know if baby is a boy or girl. The ultrasound tech did great at staying away from the sex, while still getting all the measurements.
Tony and I agreed him more reluctantly to not find out what baby is, and he's good with it. However now I can't stop thinking about it. It just feels weird to know I'm going to go in to labor in March and then have to get all the way through it before I know who this baby is. It's just different since we have always known. Zavier is the only one who wants a brother. I keep teasing Tony that I don't think he can handle any more girls though between Abbie and I he has more than enough. :) I honestly don't care either way so it won't matter to me. I'll just have the little bit of girl and boy newborn clothes washed and separated so that the baby can have clothes. I don't like yellow, green or white so that doesn't leave many other color choices that aren't one sex or the other.
Tony and I agreed him more reluctantly to not find out what baby is, and he's good with it. However now I can't stop thinking about it. It just feels weird to know I'm going to go in to labor in March and then have to get all the way through it before I know who this baby is. It's just different since we have always known. Zavier is the only one who wants a brother. I keep teasing Tony that I don't think he can handle any more girls though between Abbie and I he has more than enough. :) I honestly don't care either way so it won't matter to me. I'll just have the little bit of girl and boy newborn clothes washed and separated so that the baby can have clothes. I don't like yellow, green or white so that doesn't leave many other color choices that aren't one sex or the other.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Keeping the drama off facebook for today.
Today I'm just mad and annoyed. I don't really feel like I live in a free world. I feel like it's a world full of sheeple. Every one has to do the same thing and just fall in line. Every one is judging everyone over choices that are none of their business. If I only had it in me to have Tony get out of the Army and move to a foreign land to a village with no judgement from outside and no interaction with sheeple.
What exactly is my husband and family fighting and sacrificing for if we're not really free? There are so many things I don't know about what is going on in the world/country right now. And I feel to stupid to figure them all out.
I know that the answer is to turn to Jesus and trust in him but it is so hard with so many outside influences. I probably need to take a nice long break from the internet and just hang with my kids and teach them. I do wonder again what the purpose is in life since I am such a tiny person that I don't really matter in the world. While I know I matter to God, and trust him, it's just hard when you can't see the bigger picture.
So for today I'll just give it all to God and pray for the outcome of Americans and hope that the bigger picture is all worth it.
What exactly is my husband and family fighting and sacrificing for if we're not really free? There are so many things I don't know about what is going on in the world/country right now. And I feel to stupid to figure them all out.
I know that the answer is to turn to Jesus and trust in him but it is so hard with so many outside influences. I probably need to take a nice long break from the internet and just hang with my kids and teach them. I do wonder again what the purpose is in life since I am such a tiny person that I don't really matter in the world. While I know I matter to God, and trust him, it's just hard when you can't see the bigger picture.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
ICE complaint.
In Dec we had to move to JBLM for a short 6 months. However in Feb we got new neighbors. We are a family of 7 and they are a family of 4. It has been horrible to live next to them as they seem to have expected never hearing neighbors. After he confronted us several times they took it to the housing office which offered us no solution other than to talk with him personally. He is an angry yeller (as we hear through the walls) and we have no interest in confrontation with him. Today he took it to a new level of banging and slamming doors for each sound he heard and then went outside where my husband and kids we playing and started yelling, threatening, and cussing indirectly at my husband. We don't feel safe dealing with him and housing said they wouldn't get involved last time. We have 17 days left and don't feel safe without someone dealing with him. WE WILL NOT CONFRONT HIM.
This is the ice complaint I filed today. While we should have called the cops we didn't thin about it at the time and after the fact seems silly. I will be filing a second ICE compliant about the fact that they put 4 person families in 4 bedrooms but we didn't "qualify" for the 4th bedroom until Abbie made us a family of 7.
This is also hindering our choices about where to live at ft.bliss. Originally we talked about on-post but kept our options open if something off post seemed more appropriate. However so far on-post housing is the small crappy duplexes and we will not be in a duplex again. We are good neighbors with just a lot of people noise. We're tired of constantly shushing the boys when we want them to feel "at home" at home. We pay just as much to live here as the neighbors do. We don't party and we don't get in their space or have loud music. Don't smoke and don't bother them other than we walk run prance and jump in and through the house sometimes. Not even daily but occasional we do make noise. We both enjoy playing with our kids.
I just keep praying that God has the perfect house for us there because after 2 cranky neighbors I can't keep living like this. We'll buy an RV and live in the woods before I deal with another cranky person.
This is the ice complaint I filed today. While we should have called the cops we didn't thin about it at the time and after the fact seems silly. I will be filing a second ICE compliant about the fact that they put 4 person families in 4 bedrooms but we didn't "qualify" for the 4th bedroom until Abbie made us a family of 7.
This is also hindering our choices about where to live at ft.bliss. Originally we talked about on-post but kept our options open if something off post seemed more appropriate. However so far on-post housing is the small crappy duplexes and we will not be in a duplex again. We are good neighbors with just a lot of people noise. We're tired of constantly shushing the boys when we want them to feel "at home" at home. We pay just as much to live here as the neighbors do. We don't party and we don't get in their space or have loud music. Don't smoke and don't bother them other than we walk run prance and jump in and through the house sometimes. Not even daily but occasional we do make noise. We both enjoy playing with our kids.
I just keep praying that God has the perfect house for us there because after 2 cranky neighbors I can't keep living like this. We'll buy an RV and live in the woods before I deal with another cranky person.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Allergies
About 6 weeks ago we began seeing a nutritionist for just some healthy food healthy food suggestions and just over some food guidance. Zavier began seeing her for belly pain. He has off and on the last several years complained of belly pain. He was "treated" with a laxative, which did take care of the problem enough for it to go back into hiding for several months. As it started to flair up again I made him an appointment to seen and she said wheat allergy/intolerance. So we cut out wheat and added some supplements to heal his belly and the damage the wheat had done to his belly. He greatly improved to the point that "if" he gets wheat (occasionally by mistake at school) he knows it and his belly will hurt. He is now on a completely wheat free diet and is doing wonderful with it. He has almost cut out all the healing supplements.
Zander went in to see the nutritionist about his umbilical hernia as either it or his belly have been bothering him lately. He had popped up with red cheeks (shortly after Abbie had Fifth's disease) but the N thought it could also be a food allergy, but since it also could be 5ths decided to wait and see. His face did get worse and worse and began have flare ups with things he ate. It wasn't anything particular as sometimes it seemed like it could just irritation from "always" having food on his face. I took him in to the clinic to get an allergy referral because I just didn't know where to eliminate something. We did try wheat for about 10 days and there was no change. We went down to Portland over spring break and upon returning home his face was cleared up. The next day he got up and had scrambled eggs in coconut oil and his face broke out again. We got a clue that it must be the coconut oil. I stopped making any foods with coconut oil and went to just butter as we've given up most other oils at this point. His face cleared up slightly, but still continued to flare up on occasion but was always red still.
We had our allergy appointment yesterday with the results from his blood draw at the initial dr appointment in early April, and it came back positive for eggs and grass (they don't test for coconut). I was like thank you finally something. However the allergist didn't seem to think I should stop giving him eggs because I have a red face and we're both very light skinned. (Okay side note when involved in a discussion with the spotlight on me I do tend to get a red face and or chest. However it is not always like that). However he hasn't had eggs in 48 hours and when I wiped his face after lunch there was a pale white skinned kid.
I really liked the allergist other than the fact that she told me not to eliminate what was upsetting his face. Zander is a bit more difficult of a child and a picky eater so up until probably Dec he would only occasionally eat eggs (scrambled or fried). When we moved in this house I did make them breakfast more often so he was eating them more and then when we took wheat out of Zavier's diet breakfast has been either cereal or eggs. That is my conclusion as to why it has gotten to the point where his face was like that. Either way I am not going to feed him something that will intentionally upset his body when it is just as easy to NOT feed it to him. She did say baked eggs might not cause the same reaction, so I did put them in my meatloaf we're eating for dinner and we'll just see what happens and go from there.
Zander also started sneezing after they mowed the grass this week so he'll be on the natural allergy meds for the season as Zavier does as well.
So for the allergy record
Zayden-cats
Zavier-cats, dogs, trees, grass (wheat intolerance/allergy)
Zander-eggs and grass
Zander went in to see the nutritionist about his umbilical hernia as either it or his belly have been bothering him lately. He had popped up with red cheeks (shortly after Abbie had Fifth's disease) but the N thought it could also be a food allergy, but since it also could be 5ths decided to wait and see. His face did get worse and worse and began have flare ups with things he ate. It wasn't anything particular as sometimes it seemed like it could just irritation from "always" having food on his face. I took him in to the clinic to get an allergy referral because I just didn't know where to eliminate something. We did try wheat for about 10 days and there was no change. We went down to Portland over spring break and upon returning home his face was cleared up. The next day he got up and had scrambled eggs in coconut oil and his face broke out again. We got a clue that it must be the coconut oil. I stopped making any foods with coconut oil and went to just butter as we've given up most other oils at this point. His face cleared up slightly, but still continued to flare up on occasion but was always red still.
We had our allergy appointment yesterday with the results from his blood draw at the initial dr appointment in early April, and it came back positive for eggs and grass (they don't test for coconut). I was like thank you finally something. However the allergist didn't seem to think I should stop giving him eggs because I have a red face and we're both very light skinned. (Okay side note when involved in a discussion with the spotlight on me I do tend to get a red face and or chest. However it is not always like that). However he hasn't had eggs in 48 hours and when I wiped his face after lunch there was a pale white skinned kid.
I really liked the allergist other than the fact that she told me not to eliminate what was upsetting his face. Zander is a bit more difficult of a child and a picky eater so up until probably Dec he would only occasionally eat eggs (scrambled or fried). When we moved in this house I did make them breakfast more often so he was eating them more and then when we took wheat out of Zavier's diet breakfast has been either cereal or eggs. That is my conclusion as to why it has gotten to the point where his face was like that. Either way I am not going to feed him something that will intentionally upset his body when it is just as easy to NOT feed it to him. She did say baked eggs might not cause the same reaction, so I did put them in my meatloaf we're eating for dinner and we'll just see what happens and go from there.
Zander also started sneezing after they mowed the grass this week so he'll be on the natural allergy meds for the season as Zavier does as well.
So for the allergy record
Zayden-cats
Zavier-cats, dogs, trees, grass (wheat intolerance/allergy)
Zander-eggs and grass
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Why home school?
I wanted to save this link for myself since we are considering home schooling again when we get to Texas. I feel like as a family we are missing out on time together and want to find a way to change that.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
neighbors
I can't decide if we are just the worse neighbors or we keep getting unpleasant people. At the other house we had the wicked witch (WW) who complained cause the boys would throw things over the fence occasionally. Now the time they were throwing rocks yeah they were being bad, but a few toys seems like little to be upset over to me.
Now the new neighbors who have lived here less than 2 weeks have been over to complain about noise. Now a little background on our house we live in a two-story duplex downstairs there is a bathroom that touches their bathroom and the staircases touch as well as one of the kid bedrooms and the master bedroom. On Monday the kids were a bit out of control as it was Presidents Day they were home from school and were playing in the downstairs bathroom around 10:30. The guy came over and said something about how his daughters room is just over the bathroom (our house is mirrored to theirs so we know the layout) and that it was really noisy. Yes they were being noisy I was sitting here watching them just play but it only lasted a few minutes before I told them to knock it off and move on, which was before he came to complain. So they were noisy for 5-10 minutes and then quiet and he came to complain. Tony answered the door and the guy introduces himself with his rank and last name. It's not like we can't read the door just like you can. Surprise Surprise we're the same rank just like the door says. Anyway. He then said some story about where the kids room is located and Tony said we'd be more quiet.
Today I had gone to the grocery store and had asked Tony and the bigger boys to come help carry groceries in and we all made a few trips in and out and then shut the door. I went to attend to Abbie in the kitchen (big open floor plan) and Tony went to put some groceries away in the laundry room (right off the kitchen). After about 2 minutes I asked Zavier why the front door was open and he and Zachary told us that the neighbor had knocked on it. Well by this time he was gone, so we don't really know what he wanted. I'm only guessing it was to complain about the noise. I guess the noise from carrying in groceries. I don't know.
I like our house right now and where we are. I want to be happy in life, but this kind of friction makes me crazy. While my husband can just move on with his simple brain, my complex brain can't. I don't want to have to tip toe around for the rest of our lives. I feel like our little boys will never just get to be little boys in their own space.
We were using swimming as a family activity, but after Monday when the lifeguard wouldn't let us swim in the big pool with all 5 kids it is just less than appealing in the kiddie pool where the water is constantly being dumped on your head by the toys in the area. And I am more afraid Zander will drown in the kiddie pool than the big one with or without a life jacket.
I just don't know what to do with my kids. It seems like everywhere I turn we're doing something wrong as a larger family.
Now the new neighbors who have lived here less than 2 weeks have been over to complain about noise. Now a little background on our house we live in a two-story duplex downstairs there is a bathroom that touches their bathroom and the staircases touch as well as one of the kid bedrooms and the master bedroom. On Monday the kids were a bit out of control as it was Presidents Day they were home from school and were playing in the downstairs bathroom around 10:30. The guy came over and said something about how his daughters room is just over the bathroom (our house is mirrored to theirs so we know the layout) and that it was really noisy. Yes they were being noisy I was sitting here watching them just play but it only lasted a few minutes before I told them to knock it off and move on, which was before he came to complain. So they were noisy for 5-10 minutes and then quiet and he came to complain. Tony answered the door and the guy introduces himself with his rank and last name. It's not like we can't read the door just like you can. Surprise Surprise we're the same rank just like the door says. Anyway. He then said some story about where the kids room is located and Tony said we'd be more quiet.
Today I had gone to the grocery store and had asked Tony and the bigger boys to come help carry groceries in and we all made a few trips in and out and then shut the door. I went to attend to Abbie in the kitchen (big open floor plan) and Tony went to put some groceries away in the laundry room (right off the kitchen). After about 2 minutes I asked Zavier why the front door was open and he and Zachary told us that the neighbor had knocked on it. Well by this time he was gone, so we don't really know what he wanted. I'm only guessing it was to complain about the noise. I guess the noise from carrying in groceries. I don't know.
I like our house right now and where we are. I want to be happy in life, but this kind of friction makes me crazy. While my husband can just move on with his simple brain, my complex brain can't. I don't want to have to tip toe around for the rest of our lives. I feel like our little boys will never just get to be little boys in their own space.
We were using swimming as a family activity, but after Monday when the lifeguard wouldn't let us swim in the big pool with all 5 kids it is just less than appealing in the kiddie pool where the water is constantly being dumped on your head by the toys in the area. And I am more afraid Zander will drown in the kiddie pool than the big one with or without a life jacket.
I just don't know what to do with my kids. It seems like everywhere I turn we're doing something wrong as a larger family.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
December
Came and went without a blog post. It was just that crazy and busy for me. The first two weeks I made my way through the army hoops to sign for housing. Then in the matter of a week I was moved and in a new house and finalizing my papers on the old house. The day we cleared the old house both babies and I had the body aching flu. But we made it.
A few hiccups along the way with silly stuff like my iPhone speakers blowing out. And then we jumped into Christmas. The kids had a very nice Christmas and got plenty of good gifts. We finished out Christmas week hanging out with my friends 2 boys and the boys enjoyed that.
Then we were tossed into 2013. And here we are now. Less than 2 weeks away from Tony coming home, but still have about a 5 day window and I have many things to do to prepare for him to get home. However winter break isn't over until the 7th so still a few more days of all the kids home.
Very excited for Tony to come home and really meet Abbie and her personality. While he spent the first 3 weeks of her life with her she is a whole new amazing tiny person. He is going to be head over heels for her. I'm hoping Abbie isn't too hooked on mommy and hurts daddy's feelings. He's gonna be a whole new daddy when he has to deal with the "Abster". She's amazing.
A few hiccups along the way with silly stuff like my iPhone speakers blowing out. And then we jumped into Christmas. The kids had a very nice Christmas and got plenty of good gifts. We finished out Christmas week hanging out with my friends 2 boys and the boys enjoyed that.
Then we were tossed into 2013. And here we are now. Less than 2 weeks away from Tony coming home, but still have about a 5 day window and I have many things to do to prepare for him to get home. However winter break isn't over until the 7th so still a few more days of all the kids home.
Very excited for Tony to come home and really meet Abbie and her personality. While he spent the first 3 weeks of her life with her she is a whole new amazing tiny person. He is going to be head over heels for her. I'm hoping Abbie isn't too hooked on mommy and hurts daddy's feelings. He's gonna be a whole new daddy when he has to deal with the "Abster". She's amazing.
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