Sleeping At The Office-Exhausting days

It's been a tough week.  My husband has been working almost 24 hours a day.  No joke.  It's 1am, we are at the office and we're not leaving anytime soon.  As soon as I get home in the wee hours I have to pack up for the guys to go camping. Thankfully since Charles is having a father/son camping trip he gets time off.  He planned for it so it's gonna happen for sure. His office hired a new designer to help out but he isn't coming till September.  My poor husband has been taking naps in his office, only an hour at a time.  It's just crazy.  We come with him at night to keep company and the little kids find spots to rest in sleeping bags.  I'm usually up with him and get a little rest later but since I have to pack them up for camping, I won't get any sleep today. 

The girls first day of enrichment classes are today.  It's school for them and they are so excited!  Since they homeschool, I sign them up for some classes twice a week.  It's a school only open to homeschool kids and you pick the day you want them to go.  You wouldn't believe how amazing the kids are.  It's the most polite playground you will ever see compared to homeschool kids.  Non of that crazy, negative peer pressure stuff I was so used to.  I took the girls school shopping  yesterday and they were so excited!  This is Ashley's first year.  I got them backpacks, clothes, and shoes.  They even slipped in a couple of Hello Kitty hats.  The girls will giggling all day today trying on their new outfits.  It's so hard taking girls shopping because they want everything in sight.  It's so different when I take my boys. They're like, "this'll do."

I still haven't decided on which homeschool program I want to go with this year.  Very undecided.  If I ever go on Facebook and ask for some ideas I get overloaded by a 100 different opinions.  I'm sure they're all valid, I just think everyone has different tastes.  Makes it hard for me to decide.  Sigh.  Just goes to show you there is no perfect ONE homeschool.  So many people I know mix and match from different resources.  I need one that is a good fit for a large family.  I am excited because at their enrichment school, I picked some subjects I didn't want to worry about teaching at home.  I usually like them to learn science in a lab rather than at home.  I'm so incredibly blessed they have a school that offers these classes for homeschooled kids.  Wow!

Celebrating Ashley's 5th Birthday Party with Just Us Girls

We had to celebrate Ashley's birthday late but for this birthday it was just my mom, dad, Ivy, Ashley, and I.  My dad just met us for dinner and then us girls headed over to Chuck E Cheese.  

My dad is so good at winning these things and he got one of the first try.  Sheesh!  Isn't it funny though how the people tuck everything in so tight?  We were lucky to get that one because after that he couldn't get a second one.  I mean, nothing budged.  I seriously need to own one of those machines.

It is really, really nice to spend time with my parents.  I always wonder what life is gonna be like when all my kids grow up and I'm still here without them.  Are they gonna move far away?  Are they gonna want to bring their children here?  Charles and I have already planned out making one of the rooms a guest room and another one a nursery....just in case anyone will bring the kids by.  I know that's really thinking ahead but I love family around me so much.  It was even a little bit hard going to Chuck E. Cheese without the rest of my family.  We still had fun but I can't help feeling like that.  I think the hard part about being a grandparent would be knowing that you aren't the decision maker on raising the kids anymore.  Your job is done and however your kids decide to raise their kids, that's their choice.  

Have you ever been to Chuck E Cheese during the school year on a week night?  It's so empty AND wonderful!!!  We had the whole place to ourselves.  Usually the place with all it's noise can get really crazy but it was much more enjoyable with not having the over crowding.

Chuckie completely caught me off guard.  I turned around, saw him, and almost fell over.  Sheesh.  Ha ha.

I think the girls cared more about winning tokens then anything.  Ashley was excited about her winnings!  She still carries them around everywhere.  She's so polite though so when we got home and the kids wanted to try out her things she said yes.  I told her to be careful because they break easy.  She shares everything.  Her toys, candy...  The wonderful thing about having several kids, they learn to share so much easier. :)

Happy birthday my sweet princess.  My 5th child turned 5.  You have been so easy to raise thus far and you always have such a sweet spirit.  You even skipped the terrible twos.... I need more of you.  Heh heh.

After Chuck E Cheese we headed to McDonalds so we could have coffee with the cake.  Boy, my mom is a night owl and we only left at 11pm because they were closing.  LOL.  I got my night owlness from my mom.  

So you know how I'm on a diet?  Seriously, I love my diet.  I basically eat only meat and vegetables.  I allow myself only 25 carbs a day MAX.  That's usually just from my milk and coffee creamer.  I ate two tiny bites of my cake.  Heh heh..... so proud.  Seriously though, we went to Denny's, Chuck E Cheese, then McDonalds and I still stayed within my diet.  I'm so proud.  Pat on the back, pat on the back.    :D

Little Ballerina Girls and Chicken Soup for the Soul

Ivy and Ashley had pictures today for their upcoming recital.  So cute.  I had to wait in the mommy waiting area but I could hear Ashley shouting out "That's how you know!  That's how you know, he's in love!" from the movie Enchanted.  The ladies told me she was dancing and singing around the studio.  I guess she doesn't have stage fright.  Tee hee...

It can be fun sitting in the waiting area for two (Agggh!) long hours listening to the other moms.  I heard one mom say she goes to Starbucks every single morning for her drink.  I started adding it up in my head and it comes out to $210 a month!  Whoa!  Hey, if you got the bucks, you got the bucks.  LOL.  I think sometimes it's more than just the coffee because I love my Keurig at home.  Maybe it's the atmosphere that people would actually drive there every day just for a cup of joe.  Hmmm.... I don't know.  Haven't figured it out because it just tastes like burnt beans to me.

While I waited I also mentioned the frustration of my dieting.  I told them I lost 10lbs like nothing when I started but then it just stopped.  I guess I'm gonna have to hit the gym again and I seriously don't have the time.  I will have to MAKE the time.  Argh...  A lady mentioned that she does the Insanity workout and she lost 20lbs really fast.  It's a video she buys to do in her home.  I asked her if she ever tried to do aerobics in her house with kids everywhere trying to do it with you.  It's cute till you fling your hand and knock another kid across the room.  I always had to wait till they were sleeping.  She mentioned that on her diet you can eat whatever you want and just not go over 1,500 calories.  I told her I can't eat the carbs because it just makes me hungry again real fast.  I basically eat only meat and vegetables.  Here is one of my favorite meals.  Just chicken soup without the noodles.  So it's just chicken, keep the broth and add NO extra fake chicken flavoring.  That's basically just the broth from the chicken there.  I also added the celery and spinach leaves.  Sooooooo good and the bone broth is so good for you.

When the Boys Are Away the Girls Will Play

The guys are gone camping for three days.  I love to plan and pack so I enjoyed going to the store looking for camp items and packing the bags. I put each kid in one corner of the room, yelled out an item off the list and they had to quickly go find it and put in their pile.  It was fun because I sounded like a drill sargent and they moved fast.  Ha ha.  It was one in the morning and we were tired.  It's Kyle's first year going with the guys so he was excited and kept saying he couldn't believe he was going.  I looove taking pictures so I'm sad I won't be able to see the fun stuff they did. I only have four kids with me so it's super easy to go places.  Us girls and Caleb found our own fun stuff to do....

My 3 are on the right.  Caleb's ball was so slow they laid down to watch it go.

Above: Ivy bowling

Caleb watching to see where his ball is gonna go

The kids had sooo much fun and they played two games of bowling

Ivy kept practicing her splits for ballet while she was there

Ivy (right) with her best friend Kerrie

Ashley (right) bowling next to her friend

We might go somewhere today.  I'm trying to figure out whether I want to take advantage of the quieter house and get some cleaning done or go out again today and have some fun!  Argh.  I have the cleaning lady on my right shoulder waving her feather duster at me and the party girl on my left trying to get me to have some fun.  

Hmmm... 

Ivy's Night at the Burn Ward

Last night I was excited to take my oldest son and go workout at the gym.  While we were there he ran into his friend who also has Aspergers syndrome.  They went swimming together while I was upstairs in the gym working out.  The picture you see of my view while I'm on the elliptical.  The mom and I started talking after my workout and we were sharing ideas about school and helping our sons.  Chaz had turned my phone off to save the battery but I told him to turn it back on.  Well, we forgot to turn it on for about 15 minutes and that's exactly when Charles was trying to call me and let me know Ivy got hurt.

Ivy's left thigh

On my way home with Chaz I get a call on my cell and Charles was calling from inside an ambulance. My heart just dropped as I anxiously waited to hear who was hurt and if they are okay.  I could hear Ivy screaming in the background and I could hear she was in terrible pain.  Because he couldn't get a hold of me he had to get a neighbor to watch our kids so he can ride in the ambulance with her.  I felt so bad!  I only had my cell phone off for 15 minutes.  

Before the gym I had put food in a crockpot.  Since it was gonna take awhile I just pushed it back towards the wall in a corner and told the kids to stay away from it.  Ivy wasn't in the room and didn't hear me.    I never boiler water on the front burners and I always push anything that's hot toward the back wall on the counter. Well, she made herself a bowl while I was gone and before Charles could see her. She sat down to eat and baby Caleb crawled up on her lap and made it spill.  That's how the burn happened.  Charles pulled her pants off and saw the skin boiling and peeling away so he called 911. 

She was screaming for so long they finally had to put anti-anxiety meds in her I.V. and gave her lots of pain meds.  She relaxed but still felt pain, just not as bad.  She started getting a little goofy saying funny things.  In this picture she is showing her daddy her bracelets and telling him how expensive they were. She started being so cute once she was relaxed.  She doesn't remember any of it though.  

She was released last night but is to come back tonight to have it all looked at again.  Thankfully it only turned out to be a second degree burn but they still won't completely know the damage until it heals.  Burns keep damaging for awhile. They gave her a type of bandage over her leg that falls off once the wound heals and it'll take about 3 weeks.  Poor Ivy.  I'm going out to buy a baby gate so if anything is cooking I can keep any kids out of the kitchen.  It's just too scary with little ones.

Ivy happy once she got medicine through her I.V.

What Happened to Kindergarten?

Ashley at the science center

My daughter Ashley is about to turn five in September.  Although my kids are homeschooled they go to an enrichment school on Mondays.  Well, Ashley has looked forward to this for a looooong time. She always looked out the window when her siblings left and asked when she could go.  I always assured her that her time was coming and now that it's here, she can't go.  The reason why?  Her birthday is two weeks after the cutoff and even though all the other schools around them have a cutoff in December, this school's cuttoff is in August.  It's not even a regular school!  Awww, she is gonna be so sad.

I'm a strict James Dobson girl and believe that kids should be kids before the age of five and schools get a hold of them.  It seems like it's pushed earlier and earlier to learn.  I know some people like to start really young but I just don't.  They are to play and just not have those kinds of pressures.  However, because of daycare, what used to be first grade is now Kindergarten.  They even told me since kids learn all their letters, numbers, and shapes in daycare, they immediately start learning how to read once they start Kindergarten.  Whoa!  Whatever happened to the Kindergarten I knew?  We had playtime, naptime, fed the fish, reading time, snack time, and that's where we learned our letters and numbers.  No wonder why Ivy struggled when she went into Kindergarten.  She would just break down and have a hard time participating.  She was already behind.  What in the world?  This makes me sad because now I have to start PreK with them at home and break my strict rule on not starting them early.

I found this article about Arizona and their school standards.  This is exactly what I'm talking about... Arizona's new kindergarten standards tougher

Ivy and Juliet

Yes, I could start them all a year late but like I said, I'm a James Dobson girl.  He always said with boys it's good to either start them a year late or have them repeat either Kindergarten or first grade.  I've always opted to have them repeat first grade because I knew that was an important grade.  My mom had me repeat that grade knowing that it's important to grasp the basics.  Well, I guess I have to change that to Kindergarten since the expectations have changed.  Ivy still struggles because she was thrown into Kindergarten was expected to start reading. On top of that, she had poor eyesight the whole year.  I'm still playing catch up with Ivy and am desperately trying to help her.  She often wants to just throw in the towel and I try to tell her there are no pressures.  I wish I would've never put her in public school for her first year because they really made her feel bad about already being behind when she barely started.

I read this quote in the article.  "In our community, parents are working and most of them have their kids in day care. The kids are already used to structure. They want to do more, and they are ready."

Sorry, but I don't put my kid in daycare.  Not everyone has their kids in daycare.  Please don't base standards off of that. What happened to Kindergarten?  That is just so weird.

Happy 7th Birthday to My Ivy Girl

I know today you'll be busy, Ivy, and I know I might not get the chance to say this to you...today.  I want you to know how special you are to me.  You came in my tummy after three boys and we couldn't wait to see what it'd be like to have pink in our house.  Having a daughter was a dream in my head that finally became real and I didn't believe it till the doctor announced out loud that you were indeed a girl.

Friend Kerrianee and Ivy

I love how you were excited that we deemed Juliet to be your "buddy".  Someone that you would watch out for, help pick out outfits for, tie her shoes when she some day needs help, etc.  You get upset with me if I don't let you change every single diaper.  It's been two months and you still aren't sick of it.  I'm amazed.  You are gonna make a great mommy someday.

Ivy dressing Juliet

I love that I was able to give you little sister Ashley who is only two years younger so you have someone to play with and be close to.  I'm so grateful that you have a cuddle friend every single night that you can tell your secrets to.  I love how you say "Kerrianne is my best friend but Ashley is my best, best friend."  Mommy's lecturing about treating your siblings even better than your friends must finally be getting through.

Ashley and Ivy

I love how you are such a tomboy but you always dress up for mommy when I say so.  I love how you sigh when you have to dress up for church and admit you want to be respectful.  I love that you secretly enjoy swishing in the dress you didn't want to have to wear.  

Ivy and Ashley

I love that you are outgoing and are understanding how important it is to open your arms to potential friends rather than only have one.  I love that any little girl in the room is someone that just might need a friend to play with.  

Ashley, friend Cassidy, Ivy

I love you, Ivy.  You are a pretty amazing 7 year old.  Happy birthday!