Sometimes, the right things happen at just the right times!

I have really been trying to "find myself" lately. Find the kind of person I want to be, so that I can raise my children to be the kind of people that I want them to be, but not only that so that we can all be a more happy, loving, caring, family.

I've been on this journey I guess you can say. Well, every day I seem to find something that tells me I'm heading down the right path. I found these GREAT books at Walmart the other day.. I HIGHLY recommend them! They're called 365 Bedtime Devotionals for Little Girls (or there is one for boys too.. I got them both, they are very similar). I found them in the Easter section as I was just walking past and they just called to me. We've just really been talking a lot about kindness, using manners, being honest, and over all being a good person and this book is PERFECT! It breaks it down in to kids terms and there is a page for every night and my kids love it! Some of it goes over Colton's head, but I'm telling you, he gets some of it. We read the passages, and then we talk about what it means and relate it to what's going on in their lives, and they're really enjoying it and so am I!! Last night's passage was about doing the right thing or wrong thing. Colton is really in to Super Heroes right now, so he related this to the super heroes doing the right thing, and the bad guys doing the wrong thing. LOL He wants to do the RIGHT THING like the good guys! *proud mama*

On another note, I just found a great blog: http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/girlfriends/ .
And today's entry just spoke volumes to me! It's about finding who you are, and seeing yourself differently than God sees you. I am SO guilty of this I believe. I am really going to make it a goal to not only use kind words with my kids and the ones AROUND me, but also WITH MYSELF!!! I am hardest on me!! And that makes it so hard to be happy.

My goal today is to use kind words with my children, my husband, and ME! No negatives!

Kindness

All along, since taking my kids out of public school, teaching my kids about kindness has been a goal. It seems that this is something that has been lost along the years while they were in public school. They got so caught up in who is popular, who is the prettiest, who has the most friends, who has the best toys, or the best clothes, at just SEVEN YEARS OLD, COME ON!!!!!!!!

My goal is to raise KIND children, children who are just naturally kind to others, children who want to do good things. Children who are honest, friendly, well-mannered, and just GOOD PEOPLE!

I honestly wish more people felt this way, the world would be a much nicer place.

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness."

What does success mean to you?

Lately I have really been asking myself that question a lot. Have I been successful so far? What does success mean? Will I be successful? Raising children, being married, heck, being a GROWN UP.. these are SCARY things!

But today, as I'm sitting here looking at the smiles on my children's faces, and hearing them giggle, I'm realizing that a perfectly spotless house doesn't mean success to me. I'm making the decision here and now to stop stressing over that.. ok, I'm going to TRY to stop obsessing over that! My kids are happy! That is success! I made a trip to walmart, ALONE, with all 5 kids yesterday.. and made it home with all 5 kids! THAT is success!!! :)

I started working on a Valentine's Day project for my children, and my husband offered to help without even being asked! We enjoyed doing it! THAT is success! The smile on my children's faces when they got up and saw the project we worked on last night.... THAT is success!!


My children are learning new things, FROM ME, every day! SUCCESS!

And almost every time we ride in the car, my boys hold hands, not only does that melt my heart, but to me that is success because that means we've taught them to love each other.

My kids actually ENJOY spending time with us! SUCCESS! SUCCESS! SUCCESS!!! Lord knows it won't always be that way! **I'm dreading teenage years... tears!!

I have always had the mentality that things need to be "better". I can do "more". But I'm learning now that I need to celebrate the small stuff. I WANT to live simply. My kids are only going to be little for such a short time. I want to remember and cherish every little giggle they have, and every little memory they make. I wish I could box them up and save them for years down the road.

So if you happen to come to my house unannounced, and my house is cluttered with toys, or my dishes aren't done, or there is laundry littering my couch.. please excuse the mess. We're busy making memories!!!

Drum Roll Please...

Here it is.. the pic you have all been waiting for.. Ok, maybe you haven't ALL been waiting for it. But here it is, my pink hair :)


And a few more from our day, we made some Valentine's Day crayons!

Stop the press!

Ok.. what have ya'll done with MY kids?? Where is MY normal household?? I couldn't have woken up in the Gosselin house today. No way. No how.

I have only had to pull a certain one year old off the homeschool table ONCE.

I have not had to tell any kids to get on task AT ALL! And there a certain 7 year old MOPPING MY FLOOR AS WE SPEAK!

There have not been any super heroes littering my living room floor, and I have actually been able to keep up with the house work (ok, this might be going a little overboard here) but some what keep up with the house work.

I think I know what it is! My new pink hair! That's right folks.. my new "go with the flow" pink hair! Maybe my kids realize mommy really is COOL and they should help out a little more... who knows what it is. A mommy can dream, right?!

Anyway, this has been a super great homeschooling day.. and if it keeps up I'm gonna go with this pink hair theory.. and who knows.. maybe I'll get my nose pierced! LOL

**pics of the pink hair to come!

Numbers

8..... The number of super heroes I've picked up off the floor this morning.
15... The number of times I've gotten my baby off the school table.. no I'm not exaggerating, the kid loves to climb. And he loves to do the same stuff his brother and sisters are doing.
6.... The approximate number of loads of laundry I have waiting for me to DO not counting the ones waiting for me to fold and put away.
4... The number of times I've swept my kitchen and school room floors.
10.... The number of times I've asked the kids to please be quiet so the baby could finally sleep since he didn't last night...
1000 the number of smiles I've seen on my kiddos faces today and that makes it all worth while!!!

Happy Homeschooling!

Let's get real..

When I first started homeschooling my children, I was sort of thrown into it. I hadn't always dreamed of homeschooling, I hadn't always known that I wanted to do it, it was a decision that I made because my daughter was being bullied at school and the school system was not protecting her. Now that's not what this post is about.. what this post is about is I did some research about homeschooling, I read LOTS of blogs, read about all the laws, talked to TONS of people over the course of just a few weeks to make my decision. And out of all the blogs that I read, pretty much ALL of them talked about the order in their days. The structure. The peacefulness in their homes. I read about how fulfilling homeschooling is, and what a joy it is to teach your children everything they need to know in life. I also read about all the bonds that you'll create with your children! I read all of this and so much more! I was SOLD on homeschooling :)

Now, before I go any further, please do not get me wrong. I absolutely, 100 % LOVE homeschooling my children. I am so glad that I chose it! I have seen my children go from being miserable and unhappy to being happy and bouncy just an overall joy to be around. But let's get down to what no one tells you in "those" homeschooling blogs.

What I never read was that I probably wouldn't sit down from the time I woke up til the time I go to bed, what I never read in "those" blogs was would constantly have to pull my 1 year old off my dining room table while my 7 year old is screaming she doesn't want to do her math work and my 3 year old is screaming because he's constipated, and this isn't even before lunch time yet :)

Most days I'm lucky if I get to shower at bed time. I usually walk around in my PJ's with whatever food the baby has thrown all over me. I have to break up at least 13 fights a day.. or at least it feels like it.

And, I'm usually SO busy I forget to defrost the meat for dinner. I don't know how the moms from "those" blogs do it, but I just can't seem to stay organized. My house stays chronically cluttered.

And today's big moment of the day.. the kids were playing with a colored rice sensory box.. and my son decides to just throw the rice everywhere. I'm pretty sure on "those" blogs the kids would have been playing nice and quietly with their measuring cups and spoons. LOL But at least my kids were having fun. But it wasn't so much fun stepping on the rice..


But I will say this, there seems to always be laughter around here these days, and lots of fun messy projects these days, as well. We are in a state of chaos around here most days, but who says chaos can't be fun????

There was also some truth in "those" blogs, I have more of a bond now with my children than I ever did before. I truly enjoy just being around them. I mean yes I feel like I'm gonna go crazy at moments when things are chaotic, but then my little baby boy says "mama" after calling me "dada" for the last 2 months and my heart just melts. Or my girls just walk up and give me a hug and I look at how big they've gotten and my heart melts a little more.


Thanks for reading my first post, I look forward to sharing our homeschooling journey's with you! It's sure to be entertaining to say the least.