Here we go!

So on Saturday DJ and I are moving into our house. After which we will finish it take pictures and have a big revel. I'll take some pics and post my before and afters. It is amazing how much a little pint can brighten things up.
I love going over there now. It feels like home. Calm and bright, beautiful and comfortable. I love it. I love that the kids are excited to live there too. Maybe not Leila but she'll get used to not having Grandpa and Grandma all the time. I think I am going to have to beg my Dad to come over at nap time however. I'm not sure she knows how to take a nap without Grandpa lol.
We have been so blessed to have my parents love and suport at this transition in our lives. They are truely kind people and I am lucky they are my parents. ANyway wish us luck and come and visit anytime!!

Rodeo-eo-eo

So here in Tucson we have this wonderful thing called Rodeo. Yep folks we have a rodeo and that also means we get 2 days off of school.

On the Wednesday before break Lucas's school puts on a program they sing and dance and carry on. It is all very cute and fun.

Leila enjoying the show. Hi Lucas!!! They are going to do the Virginia Reel!

This little boy wants to marry Eden and I am okay with that cuz he is super cute and smart! his Dad is tall and that is a good sign.

Then we have break while the weather is fantastic and we soke it up! (Eden has worn her new boots everyday.

This year the kids went to their friend Tyler and Meagan's house. Friday we hit up the Library to see some horses and make paperbag puppets.

Saturday We celebrated my nephew Jason's 3rd birthday and Sunday we went to church and tried to recooperate. All in all it was a fantastic and relaxing time.

You Homeschool?? You must be weird or crazy!

Alright here it goes. I have to share my feelings of my new adventure in home school. Why would a Mother do this anyway? I admit I like having that morning time to myself. Getting laundry done. Taking a shower. Running errands. Thinking. But the glitch was my children came home! That's right I hated it when my kids came home from school. I would miss them all day then BAM!! They were home. They were tired, they don't want to do homework. Who could blame them they have been in school ALL day!

So anyway I brought Eden home after Christmas to join the k12 program. She was having some other issues at school and since she is in kindergarten I figured I couldn't mess her up that much. So I removed her and enrolled her in the Arizona Virtual Academy. I have been going to the information on the school since Lucas was a baby, and I decided to just try it out!

A few weeks later boxes arrived. A computer, printer/scanner, teacher books, student books, Then just books in general! Cubes and shapes for counting and so on. Amazing beautiful, and a little overwhelming. But I was excited. Now for the fun part.

After Christmas vacation we started, slowly but surely. I had to take a full day of skipping lessons to catch her up with the rest of her class. But we got busy. Her lessons usually start on the computer. She is taught a concept and the with math practices it builds on it and it is awesome. Phonics is all done with me but it's fun. She has stories to read for language arts. We have some sort of activity or art project. Then here is the magical part. when she is done. We are done for the day!!!! That is right no homework! We are usually done by lunch time and she has the rest of the day to be a kid. So strange I know but she has freedom! She plays with bunny, has a play date with her friend Meagan, goes out on the trampoline, plays with her sister or does art.

Big reward! My girls are becoming friends. They play with each other and they are an adorable pair. I enjoy having her home. I love seeing her learn. I know exactly what she is learning, how she learns best. AND!! If we are having a "day" we can shorten it or just take it off. We have only done that twice.

So maybe I am weird or crazy but it seems to be working for us and for the needs of my children and after all isn't that what being a parent is all about. Looking at your child and figuring out what is the best thing for there needs. Also when DJ is home Friday mornings Eden and Leila get a little of much needed Daddy time. A precious commodity these days.

So that's what we are doing and that is why, we love it!

2011 Here we are

As a 2011 resolution I will be blogging, that's right I have finally returned. A lot has been going on in our families life. DJ is a full time student applying for Pharmacy school in the 2012 Fall school year. He also works full time. We have gotten a little old house near my parents. We are spending every Saturday on. Trying to get it so we can move in. It has a ton of work to do but it is moving along and will be a nice when we get to move in.
Lucas is a 1st grader and seems to be doing well academically. He is a little nutty but he is a tenderhearted kid with a great love of life.
Eden started kindergarten but I brought her home after the first semester to attend the Arizona Virtual Academy, though the K12 program. I am her learning coach. We have been enjoying he schooling from home so much. She is awesome and loves to learn.
Leila is crazy. She is 18 months now and is "runnin" (thanks Forrest Gump). The little thing keeps us laughing though the day. She tickles and sings constantly. She is a joy and a half. I can't imagine our family without her.
I am nuts! I am a full time single Mom Monday though Friday. I look forward to weekends because DJ is home. But like I said we spend Saturday at the house. He lays tile, I paint and bump into walls. Sundays I resume my calling as Primary president and he serves in the Elders Quorum as 1st counselor. Mean while we are trying to get Leila to go to Nursery by herself. She hasn't quite caught on to the idea. But I hope she will soon.
We are trying and succeeding and failing and doing our best and what we can do. I guess that's all we can do juts try a little harder to be a little better. Pull ourselves up from our broken boot straps and keep trudging along. At the end of the day we are happy fed and loved. Isn't that the best way to end the day after all?

2010

So wow it is the new year. I love new starts. I love knowing that this year is not written. I can plan, I can be a little better and one year smarter...I hope.
This has been a crazy year for us.
DJ and I have been married 8 years. Most of this time DJ has been trying to make a job in the real estate market work. In fact we moved to Ventura for that purpose. He had a job opportunity to train as a real estate appraiser. We should have jumped ship when we got to CA and found out that the job we thought was there wasn't really. His friend had to wiggle DJ into the job. It was rough but I got a fabulous job working at sun-dance photography. I made good friends there and loved the job. I discovered talents I didn't know I had and I really enjoyed not working at a school with little kids! DJ however struggled,eventually getting a job in a Real Estate office and getting his license. But as we all know things were on the slow down and close to a crash. We had to move to Tucson so we did and DJ continued his quest to be a real estate appraiser. It had to get better and he had experience. It didn't, he started taking online courses in business. Then one day announced "I think I want to be a pharmacist" a what?? where did this come from, talk about left field! I was pregnant with Leila and well I said "ok"
So here we are he is now working for Walgreen's. He seems to enjoy it for the most part. He is also a full time student at our local community college "have you seen that show community? hilarious!"
Anyway yea we don't see him as much as we'd like to now, but he is working hard. We moved in with my parents for the time being. Which makes this all possible for me for now. So how busy is DJ really? Full time student, pharmacy tech, Dad, and he is 1st councilor in the Elders Quorum, yeah busy. I love him aren't I lucky to have someone so amazing!

As for me I am now raising three kids. I am Primary President and that's it. That's all I can handle (not as amazing as DJ)

Lucas is in kindergarten. I Love this kid. He is in the top reading group and does very well in science and math. Actually he does well in all his studies. He has lower scores in things like self control (lol my kid)But, he loves his little life and is who he is and I adore him. He play tee ball this year. It was interesting I think it was a little boring for him. His coaches weren't all that great. But they were nice enough and the kids had a good time. We had much more fun however, my family would all sit on the side lines and laugh as I yelled "Lucas, stand up!" "Lucas your hat goes on your head" Lucas stop drawing in the dirt" "Your mitt goes on your hand not on your head or in the air" He also enjoyed giving people high fives while they ran by"

Eden is in year two of preschool and will be a kinder next year. She is in charge of her world. She loves to cook and can break eggs like nobody's business. no egg shells! She makes pancakes and tamales and anything she can get her fingers in. She pops up with her apron (used to be mine when I was a kid) and cooks and cooks! She also discovered princesses this year. She is very dramatic so it works for her. She also discovered the wonderful world of plays (thanks Karissa!) So she puts on plays for us. She also practices crying and sad faces in front of the mirror. Actually if there is a mirror around she looks in it and nobody else exists. Weird huh where did she get that?

Leila, well she is my baby. She came in August. She was fast and I finally got that epidural (amazing) My sister was there with DJ adn I this time and Mom was chillin in a chair. She had long brown hair that stuck straight up and did so till about 2 weeks ago. It has finally started to lay down, so sad. He is the happiest sweetest nicest baby. I would have 15 more id they were all like her. She smiles and gurgles and enchants us all.

I would say that 2010 will bring many more firsts for our family and the years to come will be busy and hard but I am looking forward to every day. The memories will be created and our children will continue to learn and to grow. How awesome is that!

Lyla and Leila

THE BABIE.

    Nae shoon to hide her tiny taes,

      Nae stockin' on her feet;

    Her supple ankles white as snaw,

      Or early blossoms sweet.

    Her simple dress o' sprinkled pink,

      Her double, dimplit chin,

    Her puckered lips, and baumy mou',

      With na ane tooth within.

    Her een sae like her mither's een,

      Twa gentle, liquid things;

    Her face is like an angel's face:

      We're glad she has nae wings.

                                JEREMIAH EAMES RANKIN.

This is Lyla (cousin's Mike and Nikki's baby) and Leila (DJ and my new baby)

This is a poem I love about a baby, I love how it explains how sweet and wonderful
our new babies are. I LOVE IT!
I thought these two little girls were the perfect picture to illustrate this poem.
I hope you love it as much as I do.

Myboy Lucas

I have this little boy named Lucas. This kid is amazing. He is so kind and generous. On mothers day I was not feeling well and he was sure to bring me snacks and water whether I asked for them or not. Then he would cuddle up with me. I think he knows that makes me feel better.
Lucas is in kindergarten this year. His school is very small and very strict. He is required to color realistically, color in one direction. Cut on the lines , paste straight and so on. I recently got his report card. He did well, very well in fact. He is in the top reading group and has an outstanding grade in math. However, when he has to color a picture he tends to go over board. For example when given a picture of a cow. He will color the cow and paste it as directed, but that is not good enough. He will then draw a barn, sun, and a eagle in the sky. He is sure there is a tree sometimes an apple tree and flowers. Oh and the cow is probably in a pasture so it needs a fence. He spends so much time embellishing his pictures that he doesn't finish it on time.
The problem is, I think it is great that he pays attention to these details and goes above and beyond the call of duty. He wants it right. This is a skill or a talent that not many people have. Most people do the bare minimum. Most kids will rush through the work in order to go to recess. Not my kid it must be done just the way he imagines it. That is just one of the reason I love this boy! He makes me smile and laugh every time I go though his school papers. I look forward to the many insights he has yet to share with me and the world.