Frugal Homeschooling

Pizza.

It is one of many kids' favorite foods. Well combine that with every parent's goal of their child becoming an avid reader and you have the beauty of the "Book It" program through your local Pizza Hut. And it is great that it is open to homeschoolers as well.

The teacher (parent) sets a monthly goal for each child to meet. And for every month from October to April that the child meets that goal they can be awarded a gift certificate for a free personal pan pizza. And another feature that they have added was that you can also use it for something else of equal value! Which means you should be able to get a child's salad bar instead if that is their preference (or diet restriction, as I thought of a little girl I know that can't eat the flour in the crust).

But, I was able to take our children to Pizza Hut for lunch and I used the girls' coupons for their pizzas and then bought one to split between Josiah and Katherine and they all ate lunch for around $4.00! Can't beat that for a special lunch treat!

So, if you homeschool, head here to sign up for next year and if your children go to a school and they don't offer it consider talking to your child's teacher about the program. It's easy to use and very rewarding for every child!

Family Pictures 2010

We went and had our annual family pictures taken a couple weeks ago with an amazing photographer here in town. I am so pleased with them as always!  It was a challenging year for our wardrobe choice due to mommy being four weeks post-baby and Jeremiah being so small. But we fianlly found something and I actually really like the way it turned out!

The loves of my life!!

Maggie

Oh my firstborn and my precious daughter. She is a lot like me and very silly and sarcastic like her Dad. She is mature above her age in so many ways. She gave her life to Christ years ago and she truly loves Him and strives to serve Him in her own way. She is an amazing help to me not only with her siblings but also around the house. She can sweep, and cook and do laundry!!! I couldn't be more proud of her. I love you Maggie!

Samantha

Sammy Jo as she is affectionatly called by many, is quite a little spitfire. She is soft and gentle and would give anything to help and comfort someone in need. But her questions will keep you on your toes!! Her mind is always working. And while her gift is not in coordination her memory is amazing! If you tell her once she doesn't forget. School is a breeze for Sammy Jo as it comes very easy to her and she loves learning. I have truly enjoyed watching her grow and develop over the last couple of months. She is really starting to blossom into a young lady! I love you!

Josiah

My firstborn son. My energetic, ball of motion, fun loving little boy. He is sarcastic and yet sensitive. He loves all things "boy" as he says. Army guys, rescue hereos, and bats and balls are among some of his favorite. He wants to be a big strong boy but still at times wants to cuddle with his momma! A fact that I love dearly. He is learning to write his letters and can spell his name. Until the last few weeks he didn't have much interest in anything "school" related. But he is now showing some interest. It has been a learning experience to be his momma. I grew up with only sisters for the longest time and there are many years between my brother and I. So, parenting a boy is something new and different and exciting! I love my boys!

Katherine

What can I say about Katherine? She is motion!! Ask anyone who knows her and they will tell you she is one of the busiest toddlers they have ever seen. She can climb anything and she is smart beyond her years. If she something she wants she will find the tools to use to help her get it. She is already unloading the dishwasher and sorting the silverware. Her vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds every day. She is VERY independent and strong willed. Yet she loves to cuddle and be carried. She has taken to the roll of big sister well. She will bring me diapers and wet wipes and she loves to "burp" Jeremiah. She now LOVES baby dolls and can be found "nursing" her baby, changing her babies diaper or even burping her doll. She is becoming such a little mommy!

Jeremiah

Oh my sweet baby boy! Such a rough start and yet so much progress. He is the most calm baby I've ever had. He already puts himself to sleep and will sleep between 7-9 hours at night. After having Katherine that suffered from acid reflux for her first 18 months, a calm sleeping newborn has been a blessing to my husband and me. And in 9 days he will be released from his orders to stay away from public places and after NINE long weeks in the house I will be throwing myself a "Going to Wal-Mart" party!!! Yes, it has been nine weeks since I have stepped foot in any store, restaurant, or other public place. It is going to feel weird I am sure. But he is totally worth it and him staying healthy is the most important thing. So, we have changed our lifestyle and kept him away from people for the first two months of his life. I can't wait to start "showing him off" and letting people get to know this amazing blessing. This sweet little boy. My Jeremiah. I love you!!

A new little one.

My parents, two sisters, brother, brother-in-law, and nephew.

Knee Deep

As I am knee deep in child training, house keeping, baby wearing, laundry and cooking, I have had something on my heart. I am guilty of this in my own life and I have been hurt by it so many times, only to realize I was doing it to other people.

As a stay at home, homeschooling mother sometimes these trenches get lonely. The day after day of conversations with no one over 4 feet tall are long and tiring and lonely. I wonder if anyone ever notices, or even cares about me and all my hard work. My phone hardly rings and the days go by when I talk to no one. I get "down" about it. I throw myself a big old pity party and start to wallow in my self-centeredness.

Then as I pour my heart out to my Father, He speaks gently but rebukingly to me. Who have you called? What cards have you mailed? What emails have you sent? And then I feel ashamed. I am guilty of not calling also. I get busy with my day and think about my friends throughout it but never take the time to call. Don't we all?

We as mommas are so busy it is hard to make time. But we are also all tired, lonely for some "sister" conversations, and wondering at times if anyone would notice if we fell off the planet? Come on, you girls know its true! Or at least I hope I'm not the only one that feels this way. And I don't think I am.

So, as I sit here and reflect on the last month, especially, I have felt isolated and alone so many times. But I haven't called much either. I wanted people to call me and that was silly. Many of them were probably sitting at home wishing they would get a phone call too. So let's help each other out. A simple phone call. A card dropped in the mail when we mail the bills, or a special dessert we baked extra of. Lets rally around each other momma's and lift each other up. We need each other while in the trenches of motherhood. And we so often feel sorry for ourselves instead of finding love and support that so many would love to give.

I am comitting to spend more time, even just over the phone while folding laundry, fostering my friendships, lifting burdens, and being a listening ear to other momma's. It will help me. It will help others. And I pray that it will ease burdens, both mine and theirs as we lift each other up and edify each other through wholesome conversation.

These days are long and the nights sleepless, but we are not alone. There are many mothers walking the same road. And more people than you realize would notice if you were gone. So, let's put a little more time into helping each other out!

From our family to yours....

Faith Hope Family Religious Christmas Card

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Merry Christmas!! May God bless you with a wonderful Christmas season and may we never forget the real reason for the season! Thank you Jesus for loving us! From helpless babe to strong Savior we were never far from Your mind and may You never be far from ours.

6 weeks

Jeremiah is 6 weeks old now and weighs in at 11lbs 10oz. While is considered strong and healthy by his home health nurse she told me again today that he is NOT released to be around crowds or in public places that I have no control over who is there. Church is still okay since our church is small enough that I can verify with all the mothers that their children are well. So, for now, church is my only outing. No stores, no parks, no restaurants until later. So while we are hunkered down and staying warm and healthy (I hope) in our home here are some pictures of both my boys at 6 weeks. I love looking back and seeing how much they look or don't look alike at each stage.

Josiah

Jeremiah

Do the math.

While talking with a friend of mine the other day a comment was made about how quickly things add up in a large family. With the birth of each new child I have had to learn to think and "manage" more like a large family. At least in my experience, in a large family organization and management is key. Momma must be diligent and hard working to train her "helpers" as to make her work load more managable. But she must also lead by example. If we tell our children to do their chores willingly and cheerfully when they are asked to, we as mommas must also be willing to do our work willingly and cheerfuly when it is needed and not put it off by passing the hours with pointless activities. This managment and organization and sharing of the work load becomes more and more needed as a family grows.

And here are some of the reasons.

If everyone leaves out just 5 things there are 35 things crowding my living room.

If we all come in and leave our shoes by the door there would be 14 shoes to step over when you entered my home.

If we leave the dishes from just one meal sit on the counter after having dinner, using only plated, forks, and cups, 18 dishes plus pots and pans would be left sitting on my counter.

We own seven carseats right now and each of our vans has three-four carseats in it at a time, depending on where Jeremiah's base is at that time.

If everyone takes a bath/shower that leaves me with seven washclothes, nine towels, and a hamper full of dirty laundry.

My family can fill a "normal" size hamper in one day.

So you see, if I don't keep up and manage the numbers and mess, things add up quickly. Can you imagine if I left the dishes sit all day! After dinner I would have in excess of 55 dishes to wash!!!! No thank you!

Please, dear mommas be encouraged to keep up and be hard working and diligent. It is the best example for our children and it is God-honoring as well. While it is so very very important to take time to snuggle and read to our children and to play with them, we must do all things in moderation. And we must'nt let "play" push off our work. For then how will we train our children to do their chores before they can play?

Ever thought about the math in your house? How do you manage the numbers and mess? Any tips for other mommas?

Christmas Cards

Oh Christmas Cards! Oh Christmas cards! How dearly do I love thee!!!

I love mailing them. I love opening them! And I love creating them!

I have used Shutterfly 's Christmas cards several years now and I have loved everyone!

Here are some of my favorites this year.....

This one has room enough for a photo of all five of kids individually.

And this one would be great for a "group" picture!

And here are even more Holiday Cards. One thing I love about Shutterfly is that they have so many options to choose from that still include the reall reason for Christmas. Many of their cards still offer the "Merry Christmas" message instead of happy Holidays. A fact that I truly appreciate and enjoy!

A couple of years ago I also made my mom a calander from Shutterfly for Christmas. It turned out beautifully. She loved it and it was a gift that "gave" all year long.



I personalized her's with all the birthdays and important dates within our family. Lots of cool features come with their calanders.


If you are a blogger and would like to recieve 50 free photo cards from Shutterfly check out this link for more details. It's easy to do and worth it if you were going to order photo cards this year.