The Blog

I have struggled with having a blog and am finally beginning to feel comfortable with it.
My good, sweet, beautiful and dear friend Fee originally introduced me to the blogging world. I would read hers which is always so interesting and fun...then I began to "shop around" and noticed quite a few other bloggers that were fun reads. Now, almost a year later, I can't believe how much it has affected my life! I don't spend much time blogging per say, however, those blogs that I do read have had such a major influence on me. I just don't understand how to juggle the time in order to make my blog what I want it to be. So, it's really just a hodge podge of different things I feel like writing about. But, I don't know if it really represents who I am...

However, blogging is a great way for family and friends to keep updated--especially those in South Africa! My sister down South. Or even ones right around the corner who I don't even get to spend as much time as I'd like with!
It certainly put the homeschooling bug back in us! It's one of those things that you don't realize--your environment truly does affect you. God began to stir in us a heart toward homeschooling. Yes, we homeschooled two years ago, but I was very naive about it. Now, I feel as though I am equipped and prepared. The resources I have gained through blogging, well, they are priceless.
I've been able to find lesson plans through Trivium Academy. Yes, lesson plans. For science. For real. From the Well Trained Mind. Yes, for real.
Smooth Stones Academy. Awesome.
Sara's Art House. Artilicious. She's so talented. Check out her house. It's like Candy Land, except with paint!
A new blog I've discovered, Beth from Pages of Our Life. I have been able to get many ideas from her and she even shared a fabulous morning routine chart that she uses in her homeschool.
Kelly from Embracing the Journey inspires me every time I read her blog. She is truly one of the most devoted Christian woman I have come across and probably too humble to hear that. Her blog is so focused on Christ--I love it!
Then, there's my dear Mrs. Manz. This woman has been tested and tested and is passing with flying colors. I have cried a small pond while reading through her testimony of a life sold out for Christ.
Elinor from Barton College...I spent about an hour reading through her posts about homeschooling and couldn't believe how inspired I was. What a gem.
These are just a few of the amazing people I have come across.
I feel guilty not mentioning everyone that I like in bloggyland. But, I just wanted to share a few who have really inspired me. I hope one day, when I grow up, that I can sort this blog out, find a focus and perhaps I can be a blessing to others like they are to me.

THE CAR CAKE...he does loves cars and this was no exception

Homemade pound cake...sliced a little here...trimmed a little there. It's a start.This actually stayed in one piece when I flipped it, a miracle in itself!
OK, so two and one half 9x13 cakes. Looks like the start to a roadway.

I started to get a little excited after I did this. I usually RUIN cakes!
Take the little end piece that I sliced off, add a little white frosting and voila, it's a windshield!

The final results. Complete with custom Canada mints headlights, brakelights, a custom license plate in the front and one in the rear. Grass and rocks to boot along the highway. Kewl. It actually came out better than I thought. Like I said, I usually RUIN cakes. It might be sloppy, but my baby loved it. "Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep"

My Baby...a toddler now!

My baby is turning two this weekend. My doctor did tell me with all three boys that I must stop giving birth to toddlers as they were so big, even though I went one to two weeks early!

Now, my baby is really a toddler--I can't believe it. As all moms say, the time goes by too quickly. My little guy is such a joy to us, he is just so much fun to play with.

He a big blue eyed hunk of sweetness. He's very smart and likes everything to be in it's place (he gets that from big brother dos and we don't know where son numero dos got that from, because we could care less if stuff is in its place most days!) For instance, if we're getting in the shower, I'll take that diaper off and put it on the floor til we're done and then throw it out, but oh no, baby cakes has got to carry that thing out the room, with no worries about wasting water and place it properly in garbage pail. I mean how could one shower prop'ly if ones' dirtay diapah be stayingest in thine bathe!? OK, so you get the idea of how picky he is....

His new world of vocabulary has us all excited each day. We never know what's next. His newest and most common word is "more." Only is comes out like this. "moooooowwwah" And, it is just so cute! "Mooooowwwwah" (milk); "Moooooowwwah" (chicken/crackers/cheese/brown rice etc); "Moooooowwwah" (water running down my widdle head washing shampoo bubbles away--[as he stretches his head so far back]); "Mooooowwwah" (believe this or not, lotion for Grandma to rub on my feet/legs/arms/back/shoulders!!! Yes "Moooooowwwah" massage Mom (what he calls Grandma--I am mommy, she's mom!)

I'll say, Oh you want Grandma? He says "yesh, mom............mom,beep" which means that Grandma isn't here because she left in her car. Just like every morning he says

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy"

and I say "Yes"

He replies, "Daddy"

I respond: "Yes baby, Daddy"

And, he says "Daddy, beep, bye bye"

And, I say "Yes, Daddy went to work in his car"

And he says "Daddy....beep, bye bye"

That is the same conversation we've had every morning for weeks now and I just don't tire of it cuz he's so darn cute.

And, each day when he hears the mail truck he goes running for the door..."mommy, mommy!!!!" and he is so excited that I just have to rush to open the door and get him to the window to look out because it just has to be the first time he's ever seen that mailtruck.

And, he loudly proclaims "beeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppp beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppp mommmmmeeeeee beeeeeeeeepppppp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and then the mail truck stops at the house across the street. So the baby pauses because now he just must have no idea what is going to happen next and as the mailtruck starts up towards the next house, he says, "bye bye"

and we do that for each house that the mailtruck stops at before he rounds the culdesac and gets to ours!" Only the other day, the little guy surprised us with Mommmmmmeeeee, Daddddeeeeeeeeeeee beeeeeeeeeeepppp mayolmayol...that's the mailman for those who can't read phonetically!

And, tonight we had the ever emerging taekwondo champ who is now into copying his brothers and trying to break everything in half! This oughta be fun for a while.

My favorite thing is how he folds his hands in fists and puts them to his chin while we pray and then looks around at everyone so secretively as though no one can see him do it. He has said AMEN a couple of times. Soooo cute!

I cherish this little guy so much. After two miscarriages and four years of wondering and waiting if we'd have another--he is truly a blessing. I remember the moments after he was born, when my husband brought him to me all wrapped up (after a c-section) and I just was completely astonished at his beauty. It captivated me. I was in awe that a baby could look so stunning. I'll never forget that feeling. Especially since the other ones came out so squishy and weird and bent in odd places, OK just number one did, but I couldn't single him out. Sorry, but true. He's gorgeous now, but not so much at birth -- (and they were c-section babies too!) Anyhoo, my littlest honey was just so beautiful. Then, I noticed he was really chubby and hunky and kind of hairy with all darkness up and down him--so cute and I thought---"I'll call him Bruno." And, I did, for a day. He was my little Italian hunk for just the day.

ANyHooo.....Happy Birthday to you...