I should have....

....just bagged school for today. None of us are really into it today. Andy was given great seats for the Phillies Game tonight and the kids are out of their mind excited. There is a fourth ticket that I could use, but I hate sitting at baseball games - especially if they go into extra innings! It is pure torture for me! I would rather be at home doing things - like getting ready for our vacation this Friday. I am also in a house cleaning mode - going through all the old papers, paying bills, shredding things like crazy, organizing books, washing, cleaning bedrooms, etc. I would so rather be doing those things than sitting and teaching! So, we got through what we had to do - math, reading, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, penmanship, and geography. We skipped history today - we'll be getting a lot of living history as we visit Williamsburg, VA, Jamestown, VA and Roanoke Island, NC this coming week. Matt and Sarah are going to have to write small reports on each place we visit so I can put it in their portfolios.

I am getting used to my baby looking like a boy. It is really funny to look at him with that short hair and see a completely different child, though he is still the same rambunctious kid. He is also sweet. One of my favorite things he has been doing lately is coming over to me, blanket in hand, and saying "I hold you?". Isn't that sweet! I really love this phrase of his. I know one day he will get the phrase correct - "Hold me!" - but until then, I let him hold me! I have to keep remembering these sweet moments when he is being a little monster - like this morning. He just would not let anything be - the cat, his brother and sister, things he isn't supposed to touch. He was really testing me! I couldn't wait until nap time! When he was finished with his nap, he walked out of the room and told me "I sleep!". He seems a little better now - not so crazy. I need to start roomtime with him - I am a little behind in implementing this concept. Matt and Sarah were already doing 30 minutes of roomtime at his age. After we come back from NC I plan to be implementing several major changes, such as putting Daniel in a bed, moving the crib out of Sarah's room, a major new chore/ work schedule, and a new discipline strategy as all three kids are in need of new standards and I am in need of more consistency. There are several things we see in each child's character that we would like to "work on". One of the things Andy and I will be working on during vacation are these new plans. Please pray for wisdom and clarity of thought as we try to work out what is best for our children and family.

Before and After

Today my baby became a boy....

This was him yesterday.....

This is my boy today....

Christy (below), my mom's wonderful hairdresser, has given all my children their first haircuts. Daniel was the worst by far. He refused to sit in the chair unless I sat down with him. Then we had to fight him on putting on the cape. Finally a small bag of Swedish fish persuaded him to sit on my lap with a cape and cooperate. I was unable to video tape the event or even get any photos as I went by myself. Oh well! Andy loves the new style - I am missing my baby. But it was time as everyone was starting to call him a her! It was inevitable, but I really hate it that they have to grow up! Such is life!

At the Beach!!!

We are home again after five gorgeous days in Ocean City, NJ. This was the best vacation ever!!! We started out with having Andy's parents join us. It was great to see Dad and Mom in the water with the kids! I think they both had a great time - and really enjoyed seeing their son on his actual birthday - a rare occurrence. Then we had my folks join us. They, too, had a great time with the kids and were able to relax and enjoy the ocean. It was fun to be able to share our vacation with both sets of grands.

The water was so incredibly warm that even I got in up to my neck - and I really hate the ocean! But my children love it and so I went in! They even taught me how to boogie board! They got a real kick out of that! It was so much fun just having fun with Matt and Sarah. I almost made it without getting any sunburn - until today. I ran out of the brand I really like and works - Aveeno. I had to settle for the Target brand - but it definitely doesn't work as well. I am a bit red tonight - but not hurting. I will be going out tomorrow to buy more Aveeno for our trip to the Outer Banks this coming weekend.

Below you will find several pictures that will show what an incredible time we had as a family. The Lord really blessed us!Matt and Sarah really enjoyed learning how to skim board. They both practiced like crazy. They are excited to go to the Outer Bank to try out their new found skills.

Daniel was a nut and LOVED the beach as well as the rides on the boardwalk. Every time we had to leave either, he cried!!! He was so great and is totally exhausted as he got much less sleep than he is used to getting! I definitely have three beach babies - I am sorely out numbered and fear that our vacations will be to the beach for a very long time! I guess I had better buy stock in Aveeno Sunscreen!

We had a great time. I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked - it seems every time I sat down to read the sleepies took over! I did get a lot of rest, which is something I was in desperate need of! I even went to bed at 10 pm last night! Almost unheard of for me unless I am sick! I am hoping to change my ways as far as going to bed late. My new goal is to go to bed by 11 pm and wake up at 6 am. We'll see how it goes! Right now I have to get a ton of laundry done by Thursday!

We're off.....

We will be leaving in a few minutes - probably more like a half hour - but we are off on our first vacation of the month! We are all so excited! There is probably no internet connection so I'll tell all about our trip when we get home! Please pray for safety and that we would have a great time as a family.

Big Boy!!!

Warning!!! If you are offended by baby potty milestones - do not read this blog!!!

Several weeks ago, in the tub, Daniel figured out that something comes out of his private area. He was quite fascinated and for the last few weeks he has been testing his new found skill in the tub, but could never convince him to sit on the potty. Well, tonight he asked to sit on the potty!!! YEAH!! He was so proud of himself!!! Could it be that he may be ready to put on the big boy pants?!?! Probably not - but at least he is interested. He then got hold of the toilet paper and just about unravelled the entire roll! Oh well!

Today was an alright day of school. I felt miserable when I got up. I feel better now, as sometime this afternoon things finally broke up in my sinus' and I can breathe! Sarah got up early and immediately started in on her work. She constantly amazes me! She was done long before Matt. For some reason, Matt likes to go SLOW! I try to prod him along, give him incentives, praise him, threaten him! But nothing seems to light his fire. So, I have to just let him go and learn that his actions have consequences. Right now, any school work that is not completed before we go to the beach on Thursday, gets done at the beach house. It's all up to him! Pray for him, that he would start taking charge of his work and that I would be the teacher he needs me to be!

A Day of Peace

Today was a pretty quiet day - I love these days. I am not feeling well (sinus trouble) and so need calm days when that is the case. We got up and went to Sunday School and Matt received a medal for completing his Discipleship Class. He had to take a test and everything! I LOVE his Sunday School teacher - Miss Denise. She is so amazing. She works full time and volunteers for all kinds of things at the church, including the 4th-5th grade Sunday School - which has mostly Pastor Kids - you know what trouble they are!!! It can be a brutal group! But she loves them and teaches them the most amazing things! He learned a lot through this class, my prayer is that it is not only head knowledge, but will become heart knowledge as well.

After Sunday School Daniel and I came home. He was falling asleep during worship and I was feeling miserable. I came home, fed him lunch and put him down for his nap. I probably should have taken a nap as well, but I know if I sleep during the day it will hard to go to sleep at night. So I cleaned my kitchen, we are having a terrible problem with ants, and cleaned the living room from most of the stuff we brought home from being gone a week. I still have a few loads of laundry to complete, but it will get done by Wednesday.

Tonight we had fun just hanging, playing the Wii. My mom got this for Matt and Sarah as their birthday present this year. It is a lot of fun! We laugh and giggle at each other for the silly things we do. We really like the Sports program - my favorites are golf and bowling! We are saving up for two more remotes - they are pretty expensive. Then all four of us can play at the same time. While we were playing Daniel was running around like a goof with a swimmy diaper on his head - a little trick his daddy taught him! He is just too funny!

Tomorrow is a school day for us and I am not sure how much we will get done as I am sure our street will have a block party - meaning lots of loud music. We will do the best we can and catch up on another day whatever we don't finish.

Home....

Well, for a few days anyway!!! This is the month of travel - which is both good and bad. Many of you know I am a homebody - I just love being at home, but I know the rest of my family loves to move - so I have to go with the flow. I enjoy the trips, just hate getting ready for them!!!! Thursday, September 6, is Andy's 39th birthday!! We will be heading off to Ocean City, NJ to celebrate! I hate the beach - I burn terribly - but the kids LOVE it and I can't wait to see how Daniel will react this year. Last year he was a maniac and we couldn't keep him away from the water. It will be nice to be away as a family and just relax to the sound of the ocean!

We had a great few days in the country with Andy's parents. They are so great for letting us crash their house for days at a time! We are a rowdy bunch and they just take it all in stride! I was finally able to get out to their barn - we store lots of stuff their - and PURGE!!!! I am a purger - I love getting rid of stuff. My only problem is I often get more stuff. This is something I am really trying to stop doing. Anyway, my mom has blessed us abundantly with clothing - our running joke is that she thinks we have twins of every kid! I had been storing the kids clothes in the barn for years, thinking we would have more children and could reuse the clothing. God has seen to bless us differently. So, I went through all the clothing, picked out my favorites of the boy stuff for future use with Daniel and got rid of all the rest!!! I gave most of it to my close friend Donna who God has blessed with six children!! She was so excited - which made me so excited! I have struggled in the past with whether or not to sell the clothing to make money for other things. Hence, the keeping of the clothing. But God has just been laying on my heart the fact that I have been blessed so abundantly by 1) not having to buy the clothes in the first place and 2) that He will continue to supply all our needs. He is such a great and awesome God!!!!

We are home for four days, three of which we will be doing school. The kids will be doing school on Labor Day! We have the past few years, so for them it's not really a holiday - they will be thankful come May when we are all done and Philly kids still have almost two months of school. They don't actually start school until September 10th! I don't understand how they get all their days in. It seems they always have off. I'll have to get a school calendar and see how it all works.