tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149049690977092572024-03-14T08:28:09.229-07:00Bunches O' Boys and Two Little GirlsBethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-76122244371689833772015-11-25T21:38:00.001-08:002015-11-25T21:38:35.178-08:00Busier Than a BeeBusy bee - that's me!<br />
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I find that I thrive with challenge. I love a good challenge - I feel like it keeps me on my toes. Very few things in life have really felt like a challenge. Most things I've done have been fun, but not as difficult as I would have imagined or challenged me much.<br />
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There are a couple exceptions to that rule....<br />
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1) Parenting.<br />
Parenting is, by far, the hardest thing I've ever done..the most challenging, but also the most rewarding of course. I know that sounds like a total cliche, but it's so true! If anything makes me doubt myself, my abilities, and want to try harder and harder - it's parenting. Parenting five boys, parenting a bunch of kids, and parenting difficult children are daily (no, hourly) challenges.<br />
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2) Working + College + Training + Homeschooling + Parenting<br />
My newest challenge I have taken on may be my second most difficult challenge I've ever attempted! If you thought going back to school as a mom of several kids was hard, think again. I'm feeling lately a bit like a juggler who keeps tossing on more and more balls. However, instead of feeling overwhelmed - I feel recharged, rejuvenated, and excited. As I said, I have discovered that challenge doesn't stress me out but rather peps me up. OF course, I'm not going to put on a mask and pretend like things are all hunky dory... There ARE times of stress. There are times of overwhelming feelings. There are times of doubt and "am I doing this right"? However, those times are overshadowed by the good feelings, the happy moments, and the excitement of a good challenge.<br />
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So here's been my life, in a nutshell, the past month. <br />
My husband and I decided that it was time for him to stay at home with the kids, while I worked. I wasn't quite done with my schooling, however, but I figured I could work while finishing school.<br />
Then I made some changes in my education plan and added a second major, and a minor. This keeps my graduation ceremony date the same, but extends my classes out another quarter. No big deal, right?<br />
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And THEN I got the job. I was super ecstatic to hear of this job and actually be offered it! It would be a challenge, but as I said, I love challenges. I would be taking on a brand new preschool/kindergarten class within a Montessori school. I have a passion for education and I've loved teaching my own kids (homeschooling off and on the past few years). I also have tons of experience with 3-6 year old children of course. I also had familiarity with the Montessori method and my values and educational beliefs aligned perfectly with it. Further, I was willing to go through training to become certified as a Montessori guide.<br />
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So now, where I'm at is that I have two quarters left of school (a school year, will be done June of next year) still full time (online). I am training to be certified as a Montessori teacher at the same time (online also), and I'm working in a new classroom. My free time is spent with my family, doing classes, training, and lesson planning or record keeping for my class. Whew! I love it! I just wish there were more then 24 hours in a day...(or that I could operate on less sleep).<br />
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I do look forward to when my classes and training are done, however. Being able to just focus on working and my family will be amazing! :)<br />
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SO..if you were wondering where I've been - that's we're I've been!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-81151212077371625692015-06-08T16:01:00.003-07:002015-07-08T21:52:01.792-07:00Fundraiser Time!Hello!<br />
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UPDATE: Fundraiser closed, but I've opened a Go Fund Me account to keep track of our goal and to make it easier for out of town friends and family to donate.<br />
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Here is the link for that!!<br />
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I am not one to do fundraisers, like ever, so this is new to me. However, my son Owen desperately wants to go on a school trip to Washington DC! He's very excited! As an effort to raise money, his grandmother kindly donated one of her own handmade pieces of artwork as a raffle item. (Pictured below)<br />
This is a 14" tall and 6" wide piece of glass and mirror with a giant iron/metal lizard on it it. :) Owen picked this out especially for his fundraiser.<br />
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Please help Owen get to Washington DC next year. He is attending through the World Strides program. We have a trip ID and confirmation if anyone would like to see proof of the trip. There may be an option to donate directly to the trip account on World Strides as well, but I will have to look into how to do that.<br />
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I'm putting the price per raffle ticket at <b><u>$5</u></b> - buy one or as many as you'd like. I have several methods for donation: we can do Paypal, check, or cash. Paypal will accept major debit/credit cards. If using Paypal, you can send money to our address: <u><b>snipsnsnails5@yahoo.com</b></u><br />
When you donate via Paypal, make sure to choose "send money to friends or family" OR "GIFT" -otherwise it will tax me. :( <br />
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I'm not sure how well I could ship this - it is fairly heavy. However I'm sure it could be done! I would have to charge a little for shipping, but if win and you aren't local then we can figure out the best way to get it to you!<br />
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Lastly, I'm running this raffle for four weeks for maximum visibility. :) Please share share share and consider donating! I will be putting each person's name on a raffle ticket every time they donate. At the end of the four weeks I will video tape Owen drawing a name out of the bucket to be sure it's all fair and legit.<br />
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Drawing date will be <b><u>July 8th by 10am Pacific time</u></b>.<br />
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Thank you so much!!<br />
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<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-45626903075484050342015-05-05T21:28:00.005-07:002015-05-05T21:29:29.950-07:00Changing TidesIt really is amazing how fast life goes. Children are being born and growing up in what seems like the blink of an eye. I know how cliche that sounds, but it is so true! The thing with large families is that you are in many different stages all the time. My oldest child is starting his junior year of high school in the fall and will be doing his classes at the college (via the running start program). The goal is to have him graduate high school with his associates degree. He's also driving his own car everywhere and helping give siblings rides to school, do errands, and store trips for us. It's so nice having an extra driver in the house!<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">Then I also have two kids in the middle school age...puberty and hormones oh my! They love being silly and crazy. Owen is planning for a school trip to Washington DC next year. He's very excited. Brayden is enjoying homeschool so far and doing well at soccer. I've already caught him up to grade level for his math (beginning 7th grade though) so we'll spend the summer doing 7th grade math. He can start in the fall (still homeschooling) with the "8th grade" math. He seems to be excelling at homeschooling and the one-on-one attention.</span></div>
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Next I have two elementary-aged kids are are learning how to ride bikes, read, and still love going to school. They are at the sweet, fun age. Life is pretty simple for them - wake up, go to school, come home, play with siblings, then go to bed and repeat. Gabe is thriving in kindergarten and already passed his kindergarten word list! Billy Jr is well-liked by his classmates and has lots of friends. They both just love life right now!</div>
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Then last are the two girls...toddler/preschool stage of life. They are playing with dollies, dollhouses, coloring, and just enjoying time at home with mom. I'm trying to potty train Abby (without much success) and she'll be starting preschool in another year. I'm going to do preschool at home with her next year because I couldn't get her into the 3 year old preschool class. Eden is into everything and will be walking soon. Those two keep me on my toes! </div>
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The one stage I'm NOT in is the infant stage. Eden is perhaps too young still for me to miss it much, but I'm sure a day will come that I miss it. Right now, however, the inconsistent schedules, lack of sleep, baby not sleeping through the night, and crying for no reason (both me and the baby) is too fresh in my mind still though. I'm happy to not be in that stage! Eden is our last baby, permanently. I haven't felt sadness about that at all. I really do feel like I'm ready to not be in THAT stage anymore. I still have a lot more stages and milestones to go through the next 18 years to keep me plenty busy!</div>
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<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-77318735135733029662015-04-17T17:09:00.002-07:002015-04-17T17:09:54.006-07:00One-on-One Time In a Big FamilyMany people wonder/ask how each child gets special time with mom and dad in a large family. For us, we rotate which child gets to run errands with us (store trips, shopping, etc). Also, we make special trips for the kids to have mom and dad time alone.<br /><br />One of these trips we just made last week...<br />
<br />Owen's favorite celebrity is Ariana Grande. He LOVES her. Once he told me that he was sad because he thinks that she has no clue that he even exists. Well we surprised him by buying him tickets to her concert when we found out that she was coming to our state!<br />
<br />We decided it would be even more fun to make a fun day out of it in Seattle while waiting for the concert. We packed in as many things as we could into one day...<br />
<br />First was the Pacific Science Museum... He loved all the hands on things to do there.<br />
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At the Pacific Science Center we saw the Pompeii exhibit. It was both fascinating and sad. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyFa_CnHfc7FLpx5VmfWhNRidUqGjbiwQJRfSrIGqbjo8J7X2VTVD8aF6KmmR4T9cNigjWcvqde1k7U69CREVDu9oeX_ch7MnsdWpvTea3eM3bDuu-By-mwJwdEEOKAWXU3RfR6NL7cc/s1600/11150820_10153017388071713_2937263551452327531_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyFa_CnHfc7FLpx5VmfWhNRidUqGjbiwQJRfSrIGqbjo8J7X2VTVD8aF6KmmR4T9cNigjWcvqde1k7U69CREVDu9oeX_ch7MnsdWpvTea3eM3bDuu-By-mwJwdEEOKAWXU3RfR6NL7cc/s1600/11150820_10153017388071713_2937263551452327531_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Before we left the Pacific Science Center, we watch Furious 7 on the Imax screen! Owen was amazed...</div>
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Next we went up the Space Needle!! Gulp. I had to swallow my fear of heights for that one... the elevator ride was the worst. I didn't know if I was going to cry or pass out as we neared the top. This picture was taken on the way down, however. Otherwise I would have NEVER stood by those glass windows in the elevator. </div>
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Owen got to have an Italian soda at the top of the Space Needle while we enjoyed the view. </div>
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Then, before the concert, we ate at the most amazing Chinese restaurant. SOOOO good.<br /><br />Finally, it was time for the concert! Owen was star-struck. His eyes didn't move much off the stage. He also HAD to have the glowing cat ears that everyone else in the crowd had. It required we wait in line for half an hour, but it was worth it. They were programmed to her music. It was super cool to see all the lights in the arena "dance" to her songs...</div>
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So all in all, it was a great trip! Owen had the time of his life I think. It was great to have this one-on-one time with us.<br />
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<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-85333428256675215742015-03-31T09:37:00.000-07:002015-03-31T09:38:11.648-07:00Boys vs GirlsWhen I first had Abby, everyone asked how I liked having a girl and if it was much different then the boys. At that point, she was a tiny new little bundle of pink and behaved the same as any other newborn baby. She slept, she cried, she ate, and pooped - then repeat. I always answered that the biggest difference was all the cute little pink clothes and dresses.<br />
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Now Abby is 3 years old. I'm starting to see a difference! However, how much of that is nature vs nurture? Learning in my sociology classes, gender is a social construct. That means that society determines what a boy is and what a girl is - not nature. Society decides that boys play with cars, dirt, and guns and that girls play with dolls and pretty "clean" things. I definitely see how society markets boy things versus girl things (I mean PINK legos for girls? Come on - can't they play with regular legos too?!).<br />
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However, I also think that some things are just inborn. Nature made boys/men to be the protectors and fighters (i.e. their obsession with guns and playing gun games no matter how much the parent tries to fight it). Nature also made girls to be nurturing mothers (i.e. girls' desire to play with dolls so much).
That said, I do find a lot of the "girly" stuff being partly our fault. For example I call my daughter a princess, I get her excited about princess movies, and I buy her princess toys. The other day she was watching a TV show and a commercial came on for a girls toy and the girl had a bright pink bedroom. Now Abby can't get that out of her mind and demands daily that we paint her room pink.<br />
So... Abby is girl. But she also loves playing in the dirt and wrestling with the boys. One Sunday I turned my back for a moment and I found her belly down in a dirt pile with her pretty Sunday best dress on! (Remember this picture?)<br />
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The jury is still out on Eden. I have a feeling that she'll just follow in her big sister's foot steps. However you never know! She may want to be her own little person. I am totally okay with the kids being who they want to be. If I have a boy who wants to learn to sew, cook, and play with dolls - then I help them and encourage them to explore those interests. If Abby wants to play soldiers with the boys and wants her own Nerf gun, then I'll be happy to buy her one. I don't buy into the tough boys and dainty girls mentality. I think both boys and girls could benefit from having a tender and nurturing side as well as a courageous and strong side. Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-90352715320260624042015-02-05T22:43:00.000-08:002015-03-01T21:17:50.508-08:00Homeschooling - Month 1!Well today marks the one month anniversary of when we began homeschooling our second oldest son.<br /><br />I think things are still going pretty good. I'm happy with it and I think he is too. He does miss his old friends, however we're working on ways to get out and meet some people. :) He has soccer starting soon. He also has scouts (which we're going to try to be more active in!). I am also looking into some local home school groups.<br /><br />Academically, I love the feeling of teaching him something. I love our intellectual conversations and hearing how his mind works. I don't think he got that at school before. Now he has time to really explore what he's learning and talk about it. I know that for me, personally, I learn best when I can discuss a subject with someone else and really think about it.<br />
<br />Some changes - I feel that we've done enough review on math now. We're going to start a new math curriculum. Since math is his strong suit and he enjoys it, I'm going to get him a more challenging math program. From what I've read and heard, the math program Life of Fred is a good one! By the time he goes through all of the books, he'll be ready to transfer to a junior level college math class. That's more then the average high school student can do!<br />Also, I want to accelerate through the material a little bit more since we only have 1.5 years before high school. AAAAAAACK! I want to make sure we don't spend a ton of time on middle school work, when we should be transitioning into junior high work by the end of this year. I don't want to place any limits on what he's learning, but I also don't want to leave anything out. :) I have SO much I want to teach him!<br />So we're moving on to early American history now and leaving behind ancient history. He's already covered Egypt, Mesopotamia, etc several times over in school. He's teaching ME things I didn't know!<br />
<br />He says he wants to be a doctor when he grows up - a surgeon to be specific. I'm not going to limit him on anything. I love that he has goals and dreams! That means, however, that we need to step up our work here! lol<br />
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Besides homeschooling - no other real updates here. Winter time is always our down season with not a lot going on. I'm also fully immersed in my own school currently too. I only have one more year left! <br />
I'll post more on updates soon! :)Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-32646885996168045012015-01-06T22:33:00.001-08:002015-01-06T22:33:55.361-08:00Exploring Egypt...Today my 12 yr old son and I toured around Egypt. We saw the vendors on the street and the funny way the buildings and houses were packed in like sardines. We also got to visit a few pyramids while we were there. One of the pyramids even offered a tour down INSIDE of it! We got to see the old king's tomb that grave robbers had already gotten to, and unique passageways carved out thousands of years ago. Then after exploring Egypt we visited a cave in France in which ancient paintings of animals and people were on the walls within the cave. After we were done, we were still home in time to pick the other boys up from school and make dinner.<br /><br />Isn't technology great! Google maps is such a fun tool for exploring the world. It felt like the next best thing to being in Egypt ourselves (minus the hot sun, sounds, and smells of it...). The tour of the French cave was a virtual tour provided by an educational website. I think it's amazing how technology is changing how we learn and what we can learn.<br />
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Today was day two of homeschooling Brayden. After a lot of careful research, reading, and thinking - we decided to go with the Easy Peasy curriculum. It is an all-in-one curriculum that provides adequate education in all of the areas we wanted to cover. It covers math, reading, writing, language arts, history, science, art, music, PE/Health, computer/technology, among a few other areas. This curriculum is fully online with some worksheets/printables that are to be printed out from home. It also comes with a wonderful support system/network.<br />The very best part? Its ALL FREE! <br /> The curriculum is given in bite sized amounts, which is perfect for a child with low attention span. This also allows more time to explore areas of interest or dive into subjects further (like we spent an hour in history just touring around Egypt and exploring pyramids).<br /><br />I can't wait to see what the rest of this school year brings! Tomorrow we are making papyrus among other fun activities. :)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://allinonehomeschool.com/">http://allinonehomeschool.com/</a><br />
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<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-83178762229401659832015-01-03T00:25:00.001-08:002015-01-03T00:27:11.459-08:00Saying Goodbye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we ushered in a new year and said goodbye to 2014, I thought about the last year and everything it brought us. <br />
It brought us happiness in the form of a new healthy baby girl. <br />
It brought us a lot of fun and family memories. <br />
It brought us big decisions about homeschooling. <br />
It also brought sadness. The sadness came at the very end, however. <br />
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Life is so unpredictable. When you make careful plans, typically what you were planning for doesn't or won't happen. Yet, when you are least expecting it (and thus are typically unprepared), life has a way of sneaking up on you...like a giant jack-in-the-box just waiting to spring out.<br />
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Change can be good, but with it also comes a period of adjustment and sadness from saying goodbye to the way things were. In our case, it also involves saying goodbye to a person who became like a grandfather to my children and like a father-figure to my husband.<br />
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For the past 14 years my husband has been a caregiver for one person. I often joked that he spent more time at work then at home! Work and home time was muddled, as he often thought about the person he cared for even when he was at home. It was more then a job, it was like caring for a family member. <br />
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We knew, of course, that the day would come in which that person passed on. It happens to all of us eventually... We carefully planned what-if scenarios and budgets so that we'd be ready, because it can be scary thinking of supporting a large family while starting over again with your job or career. Yet, no one can really plan for death, Can they?<br />
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Sadly, over Christmas the man my husband cared for became sick rather unexpectedly and passed away.<br />
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My 12 year old son, Brayden, was quite attached to this man. Brayden was his favorite of all our kids (but shhhh don't tell the others...). We think it's because Brayden has ADHD and is often in trouble at school and at home, and the man my husband cared for felt the strong need to reach out to him and make him feel special. Brayden took his passing very hard. He was sad and depressed for several days. He still has his moments of sadness. Watching your child grieve is hard for a parent to do, although I know its another one of those necessary lessons of life.<br />
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So that brings us to 2015...big changes. The reality of it all is that we have to figure out a new path in life now, a new career, and income to support our large family. I have no idea what to expect in 2015, but I hope it brings us some good changes and lots of happiness!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-33172207545444557652014-12-16T21:39:00.001-08:002014-12-16T21:39:59.718-08:00One More Catch-Up Post...I can't believe that the last time I posted a blog update was July (before my recent one a couple weeks ago)! I missed so many fun things that happened this summer and fall.<br />
<br />So one last catch-up post in pictures:<br /><br />First of all - our big family trip this summer was to Silverwood (a semi-local version of a smaller scale Disneyland). We spent the whole day there, only going home at closing time. It was exhausting but the kids had a blast.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI0UgyHlAKbdG8EMZwN5smMoQO9ynhrrvBi5s0hmKqRzN19fxM1tiadh7Df3Lljhg-2Oet4kKAXaZHje5Uqu_RjNQB78H-waMZuybHnMbuDiF9O94MG5QhtK734JDm9VQ-6d0LpWVaXU/s1600/10550970_10152466222406713_6658436256542651929_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI0UgyHlAKbdG8EMZwN5smMoQO9ynhrrvBi5s0hmKqRzN19fxM1tiadh7Df3Lljhg-2Oet4kKAXaZHje5Uqu_RjNQB78H-waMZuybHnMbuDiF9O94MG5QhtK734JDm9VQ-6d0LpWVaXU/s1600/10550970_10152466222406713_6658436256542651929_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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The older boys kept trying to win toys at the game booths with no luck. Gabe (age 5) kept begging to go to a certain game and win this giant stuffed lemur. We told him that it's very hard to win toys, so not to be disappointed. However, his first attempt up there he won a small toy AND a large toy (he got three balls for one attempt). He was VERY happy and proud of himself. He named his giant lemur Mr. Cuddles.<br />
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Billy Jr and Gabe LOVED the little kids' rides. There were a lot more of them this year (little kids' rides)!<br />
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Abby got tired of walking (even though we had a stroller with us) so her big brother offered to carry her for a (short)while!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVsZ8vI6IrIQggxfPsSWgGmoza5dllHugGsAYtQCmto-qtIvrwRS7KkLsm2gqgHWMgqEuCw5TAVmbWyw05iYmjAA8cbEAKXcCueMzz3kvPsH4wWdAT1gUAf9k-xeaSMNGB4d522Wa9n8/s1600/156022_10152466222136713_2434969306063039644_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVsZ8vI6IrIQggxfPsSWgGmoza5dllHugGsAYtQCmto-qtIvrwRS7KkLsm2gqgHWMgqEuCw5TAVmbWyw05iYmjAA8cbEAKXcCueMzz3kvPsH4wWdAT1gUAf9k-xeaSMNGB4d522Wa9n8/s1600/156022_10152466222136713_2434969306063039644_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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To beat the boredom, one summer day I took the kids to a local "island" walking trail. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-BbCZEy0QudynfIicYxRJHv1g77EVsTlljcwC2RDgQxBwPDTWGgk8Eqs2BaG2ZO3M3bWgPG6e6QYb2KGRTCOT1mfB4AwL5bO0UjcCZCCPkkJvAwCgzB86wwm_7QspM468x9t9yEcBz4/s1600/1505018_10152534225676713_8857688493561693739_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-BbCZEy0QudynfIicYxRJHv1g77EVsTlljcwC2RDgQxBwPDTWGgk8Eqs2BaG2ZO3M3bWgPG6e6QYb2KGRTCOT1mfB4AwL5bO0UjcCZCCPkkJvAwCgzB86wwm_7QspM468x9t9yEcBz4/s1600/1505018_10152534225676713_8857688493561693739_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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Look at Billy Jr's socks!! That was after they played in the water some.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyi4woKA1C8f7t66HVN0BCJHBcDQ9zgdYU8HXZhHz87CbEAB2_Zk9GwucApvzs7HoI-2oc7mB_eIVMbe2uwpfzkB4qmTvCXB4apFqYk5dm_aBQ7iuwaZKex4Om4BXBdH4bdUneoGy53o/s1600/10435790_10152534225596713_7747351123958098958_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyi4woKA1C8f7t66HVN0BCJHBcDQ9zgdYU8HXZhHz87CbEAB2_Zk9GwucApvzs7HoI-2oc7mB_eIVMbe2uwpfzkB4qmTvCXB4apFqYk5dm_aBQ7iuwaZKex4Om4BXBdH4bdUneoGy53o/s1600/10435790_10152534225596713_7747351123958098958_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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When we stopped to read some signs along the nature trail (talking about the type of native plants there) - Brayden saw something brightly colored in the weeds. It was a geocache!! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aIG9iHUYGIdkLdjagABTRvfO7Mq0Uw67jscYtTgjVtCGf4_SOXXeQEVZTKmtz91eaJjKv9wgxk4M-lDwk0GM2OFAJOH_g4b4GCdBsUagBFZAeOeg4NhxuUpR-O2Igu5e3c93ndhdEJ8/s1600/10606076_10152534226011713_4808962976667821717_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aIG9iHUYGIdkLdjagABTRvfO7Mq0Uw67jscYtTgjVtCGf4_SOXXeQEVZTKmtz91eaJjKv9wgxk4M-lDwk0GM2OFAJOH_g4b4GCdBsUagBFZAeOeg4NhxuUpR-O2Igu5e3c93ndhdEJ8/s1600/10606076_10152534226011713_4808962976667821717_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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Gabe got a pair of sunglasses from the geocache.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAYiGpKC7d6gk0_Tu4X3m3WwZiCQraXrb20cUDuiBGWPYG4GTFRWB6wMzAMRUdXsIjHKxszZNAQC-zOt3VQXgFKQxkIZh7Etofk-eRHbywxcQYqAKb5bAMN1bedwbMgFSnLjqmnn5_0g/s1600/10403368_10152534225831713_9039603920007986212_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAYiGpKC7d6gk0_Tu4X3m3WwZiCQraXrb20cUDuiBGWPYG4GTFRWB6wMzAMRUdXsIjHKxszZNAQC-zOt3VQXgFKQxkIZh7Etofk-eRHbywxcQYqAKb5bAMN1bedwbMgFSnLjqmnn5_0g/s1600/10403368_10152534225831713_9039603920007986212_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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First day of school!!!!!! Everyone was pretty tired in this picture from trying to adjust to the new early morning schedule. We have a 10th grader, 7th grader, 5th grader, 2nd grader, and kindergartner!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SCH_pysnPj8L13SGEeY4UGGofy8FU_ZM-C0duPbv932WLZzj177mjEyeXU0xDxByx4eBeSTySLoZPkiqUV7qYMRITjewYuQgHX7RNzx16DUlJnkVqKATorJhd7Vx7vxPQtvjr9eX1bA/s1600/10683612_10152535623591713_4047043208006125277_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SCH_pysnPj8L13SGEeY4UGGofy8FU_ZM-C0duPbv932WLZzj177mjEyeXU0xDxByx4eBeSTySLoZPkiqUV7qYMRITjewYuQgHX7RNzx16DUlJnkVqKATorJhd7Vx7vxPQtvjr9eX1bA/s1600/10683612_10152535623591713_4047043208006125277_o.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a><br />
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Gabe's in kindergarten now!<br /><br /><br />
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Billy (dad) made us an awesome homework station! This was just after it was completed, but now it has books on the shelves below and some lamps. :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBrH43dlomhaGo5uC1-nvPkJe02IqMbyheDRhNDTbwsx3F3AWM-Uv5E1UDuDUGRjHk2lPWFKL0ImRp1pJvPI4YiuxS7N8m3JG_NyTnY720zN4rcO8AL5OM0SwTTfb2YnCtnxCy9HnPuE/s1600/10679785_10152530810901713_9061426059833478591_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBrH43dlomhaGo5uC1-nvPkJe02IqMbyheDRhNDTbwsx3F3AWM-Uv5E1UDuDUGRjHk2lPWFKL0ImRp1pJvPI4YiuxS7N8m3JG_NyTnY720zN4rcO8AL5OM0SwTTfb2YnCtnxCy9HnPuE/s1600/10679785_10152530810901713_9061426059833478591_o.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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That brings us to....Halloween! </div>
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Carving pumpkins:</div>
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Billy jr didn't want to touch the pumpkin guts so he tried wearing plastic bags on his hands:</div>
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Abby even helped!</div>
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Four of the finished pumpkins....</div>
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The kids' costumes: Owen was a scary clown, Gabe a ghost pirate, Brayden a werewolf, Billy Jr a ninja, Abby a princess/Elsa, and Eden was a pink poodle. Also two extra friends pictured here... :)</div>
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Crazy Owen!</div>
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The candy haul! The boys were trying to play a game where they traded/bet candy. Surprisingly it didn't end up in a fight. ;)</div>
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Then mommy and the girls went on a road trip to visit their Auntie and cousins (including a new baby cousin!) This was actually my first time taking a long trip alone with the baby, but also my first time driving over the mountain passes and on a freeway. Yikes! My Garmin GPS did a very good job helping me though. :)</div>
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We went with the cousins to an aquarium. :) </div>
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Abby and her cousin hugging...awww. What the picture doesn't show is Abby trying to claim EVERY animal there as HERS. "Mine!" she'd say, and try to edge out her cousin from even getting close to the glass/fence. </div>
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Cute Abby :) </div>
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Pretty fishies!</div>
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And a petting zoo too!</div>
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The end for now! We had a lot more adventures that I didn't get pictures of. However, I'm going to try to do much better at that in the new year! :)<br />
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<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-70350634077814853892014-12-12T12:47:00.001-08:002014-12-12T12:53:11.266-08:00A Catch-Up Post: First and Last Pageant<div style="text-align: center;">
While looking through my pictures, I realized I haven't updated much over the last few months! So here is one quick catch-up post.</div>
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I decided to try putting Abby in a little mini-pageant to just try it out and learn how it all worked.</div>
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While it was fun, I am pretty sure it was her first and last pageant. Mostly I was doing it to get Abby her very own crown. </div>
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I realized that I just didn't have the patience for it! Abby just wanted a princess crown and that was all she cared about. Getting her to walk a certain way and smile was almost too much. She usually is full of smiles and personality, but not in front of judges! </div>
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I also realized that I don't take criticism of my daughter's beauty very well. While I understand the judging of her personality and whether she was outgoing, engaging and so on - I don't understand how beauty can be judged and why she was marked down points on the photogenic portion. See? The whole points thing - it can obsess a person.</div>
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However, I did get some VERY cute pictures out of it. I also had a lot of fun dressing Abby up and having a girly day. I never thought I'd have that!</div>
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Now...onto the pictures:</div>
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Her head shot that we got mysteriously marked down a ton of points for:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxC5DUXGQCitxYAkypYc39DSQ1yzETghqyZPEFEnGGGhn4_GJ_rIuUCKDcsTZdYCdiHHgCdlkO-sCJir8xlWU6_mOmwq5gjVekIYpdr7WFasetQKDyj2f6zx7QN8p7abJtGIA48mwQLG8/s1600/Abby_02+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxC5DUXGQCitxYAkypYc39DSQ1yzETghqyZPEFEnGGGhn4_GJ_rIuUCKDcsTZdYCdiHHgCdlkO-sCJir8xlWU6_mOmwq5gjVekIYpdr7WFasetQKDyj2f6zx7QN8p7abJtGIA48mwQLG8/s1600/Abby_02+copy.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></div>
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See? She didn't really want to cooperate. ha!</div>
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She did take a brief moment to give the judges a cheesy smile though!</div>
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After she got her crown...she kept insisting on wearing it backwards.</div>
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Cute girl!</div>
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Back of her crown - but also showing her cute bows someone made for me, and the back of her hair :)</div>
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Sisters!</div>
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Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-56469047167208355212014-12-04T23:40:00.000-08:002014-12-04T23:41:05.829-08:00You can't force something that just doesn't fit...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Education is not one-size-fits-all.Everyone learns in different ways, and that is a <a href="http://www.learndash.com/7-major-learning-styles-which-one-is-you/">scientifically proven fact</a>. So why is our public schools - in general - rigid in how they teach children? Some children may excel and flourish in that type of setting. I have a couple children who do very well with the teaching and learning methods at public school.<br />
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Then I have those who don't...<br />
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I have a child who's learning style is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole...it just doesn't fit.<br />
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I'm tired of trying to pound him into fitting the public school mold. It doesn't work for him. The only thing it's doing is destroying his confidence and self-esteem. How fun is learning if everyday is just more stress and pressure to sit completely quiet and still or else risk constant discipline and being labeled a difficult student/child? What does that do to someone's self-worth?<br />
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I knew it was finally time to readdress things when my son continually called home from school at least once a week with various complaints of headaches and stomach aches. He admitted later that he was never sick, but that he can just concentrate better at home. Not to mention that the stress of having to always focus on sitting still gives him anxiety (thus the stomachaches and headaches..)<br />
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Why keep pushing things? Who or what is it helping?<br />
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Thankfully we live in a time when there are so many other educational options. There is traditional homeschooling, unschooling, online/cyber schooling, eclectic homeschooling, classical homeschooling, and so on and so on. My current plan is to enroll him in an online school for the remainder of this school year. His academic progress and goals will be supervised by a certified teacher as well as his curriculum and testing. We can then evaluate where we are at the end of the school year and what works best for him beyond that.<br />
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The bottom line is that I'm responsible for my child's education - every parent is. I can't worry about what others might say or think, but only what is best for my child. And right now...he's drowning. I can't sit back and watch him struggle anymore...<br />
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Check back next week for more updates and holiday fun! I'm in my last week of school myself for this year, so I hope to pick back up with the blog again over break. :)Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-44696903403680718642014-07-12T10:10:00.001-07:002014-07-12T10:10:56.182-07:00Hot hot hot! Fires, Feingold, and Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">Well, fire season 2014 has begun! Several fires have begun within just the last couple weeks. The morning after the Fourth of July, my husband woke me up at some early AM hour to show me that the hillside across the river from us was on fire. It was quite breathtaking of a view. I attempted a picture, but my camera skills aren't so great that early in the morning.</span><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHO3lmkBgwEzDsBpkul4Rxhn4d4R1Og1xSKBb0knN_-1h2q98AYIuj5ceb5pU5m8xFDDtInC94IzHJOF25p7pLYNb7rn_6CU0x-e9hKMeOj_26hK7xXnj-6x98s3TtQ58gVcsFnT-FiQ/s1600/IMG_1695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHO3lmkBgwEzDsBpkul4Rxhn4d4R1Og1xSKBb0knN_-1h2q98AYIuj5ceb5pU5m8xFDDtInC94IzHJOF25p7pLYNb7rn_6CU0x-e9hKMeOj_26hK7xXnj-6x98s3TtQ58gVcsFnT-FiQ/s1600/IMG_1695.JPG" height="237" width="400" /></a><br /><br />That fire didn't last very long thankfully, since it did get awfully close to some houses (like in t he back yard of a couple houses up there!). Currently, the biggest one is just about 15 miles from here and over 20,000 acres, but the good news is that no homes or lives have been lost. Its been pretty close to town though! (See pic below...NOT my pic)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />It doesn't help that the weather here has been HOT HOT HOT! We've had a couple triple digit days already, and next week is forecast to be ALL triple digits: 103, 105, and even as high as 110. Yikes.<br /><br />We tried to cool off the kids by taking them to the river. You can see how smokey it was in the background. I think the boys had fun though, although they complained the water was too cold. Amazingly, my wild energetic 5 year old was the first to get wet. That child has no fear. Good or bad thing, I don't know yet!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfnqY1QhZDRQ_2UK3Z8z3UiwfCvVlruHtUzYS9aoZIiQ7uypKaFJeSVApFrpDuVJ6rr-m3ytwQE5EDphxBzjD5Phmfo0tSma3oCEIqDyMQmmnwHhHLYWBnaoLyzibM1mQPhMNBWz0E1k/s1600/CAM01320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfnqY1QhZDRQ_2UK3Z8z3UiwfCvVlruHtUzYS9aoZIiQ7uypKaFJeSVApFrpDuVJ6rr-m3ytwQE5EDphxBzjD5Phmfo0tSma3oCEIqDyMQmmnwHhHLYWBnaoLyzibM1mQPhMNBWz0E1k/s1600/CAM01320.jpg" height="376" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEllVcqYcSr7UL2zcWxKIvikXxB7nBSQ3upCQBFTW1WJuw1v8NfdIVKOLIeBlc8vKYahwYOJlFofLjUwRQnC3L4ZHspvgyD5bgxHFDMzDy3P8qsFVuYNxyr7vN7hA2Iy2l0oSD6x6-fA/s1600/CAM01309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEllVcqYcSr7UL2zcWxKIvikXxB7nBSQ3upCQBFTW1WJuw1v8NfdIVKOLIeBlc8vKYahwYOJlFofLjUwRQnC3L4ZHspvgyD5bgxHFDMzDy3P8qsFVuYNxyr7vN7hA2Iy2l0oSD6x6-fA/s1600/CAM01309.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a><br />
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Love how the boys always help watch out for their sister(s).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2pB375ActuiWOqXZMHISf4uUq_e2_VeIdKlotS-WQ7gLOhK9WWkQ7Rdd1pf-hGAw5qnAeEKEcuFGQwwubiKKfxVjgKJc6H9vVEyJt4hnXaa8fjbtQ0tdmoMQX-wS0ZBc-tUMe5rnYSw/s1600/CAM01314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2pB375ActuiWOqXZMHISf4uUq_e2_VeIdKlotS-WQ7gLOhK9WWkQ7Rdd1pf-hGAw5qnAeEKEcuFGQwwubiKKfxVjgKJc6H9vVEyJt4hnXaa8fjbtQ0tdmoMQX-wS0ZBc-tUMe5rnYSw/s1600/CAM01314.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a><br /><br />And lastly, I forgot Feingold Friday, I know. I had planned on getting that post done last night while baby was sleeping, however I got suddenly busy. We are currently ripping out our front overgrown flower bed and putting in an awesome patio...stay tuned for before and after pictures (and by WE I mean my husband...). Last night we bought the stone for the patio. Then my husband worked into early morning preparing the ground and digging up roots (because its much cooler at night then during the day!).<br />Back to Feingold though...its going! I did my first shopping trip, and it was stressful. Things were going well until I left the healthy/organic foods section. It seems every brand we usually eat is full of the bad stuff (aka not real food). So...it's going to be a long learning process.<br />I'd say we are 80% Feingold this week...and 20% junk still. I bought the wrong hot dogs, it was free slurpy day at 7-Eleven yesterday, and I wanted to eat up some non-Feingold foods this week because I hate to waste. Next week will be better though! I have my meal plan done through the month. However we are going camping next weekend, and I have no idea how to go camping with a large family on Feingold. The organic hot dogs were $8 for a six-pack. Yeah. Not happening. It will be our last camping trip for the year though, so we might just have to forget about Feingold that weekend. Uggh I hate how easy and cheap junk "food" is. We'll get there though! I do have some recipes for homemade marshmallows...but I'm still working on how to make hot dogs healthy. Maybe that's an impossible feat though...Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-13769285831923937652014-07-06T23:47:00.000-07:002014-07-06T23:54:33.000-07:00Trying this again...The ADHD Diet<br />
I've researched and read about this so-called ADHD diet before, named the Feingold program. However it seemed overwhelming and I never had time to really seriously try it. Lately, though, with medication issues and more reading I've done, I've taken another look into the Feingold program.<br />
And then I bought it! Then I put it aside for a few months....<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Droid Serif'; font-size: 20px; line-height: 31.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">Reading the testimonials of how much </span><a href="http://www.feingold.org/what.php" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Droid Serif'; font-size: 20px; line-height: 31.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">Feingold</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Droid Serif'; font-size: 20px; line-height: 31.200000762939453px; text-align: center;"> has helped others and symptoms it helped really inspires me to give it a good, honest try!</span><br />
Some symptoms in my boys that I am hoping to alleviate include:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Hyperactivity</li>
<li>Emotional outbursts</li>
<li>Mood swings</li>
<li>Impulsive actions</li>
<li>Compulsive actions which include chewing of clothes, licking, facial tics, etc.</li>
<li>Other emotional issues such as depression, anxiety, irritability, etc</li>
<li>Learning problems</li>
<li>Health problems such as frequent headaches, upset stomachs, allergies, skin rashes</li>
</ul>
All of my boys could benefit from this diet change as I see these issues at different levels in all of them.<br />
Summer is the perfect time to test it out!<br />
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I will be journaling our progress here under the labels Feingold and ADHD for easier future reference.<br />
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Step 1:<br />
Going through the cupboards and cleaning out anything non-Feingold approved.<br />
Make my first week's grocery shopping list/meal plan<br />
Organize my cupboards (Right now they are a hodge podge mess and we often don't even know what we have available to eat or snack on!)<br />
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Stay tuned! I will be posting how week one's meals went next Friday. I think I shall call it "Feingold Friday" for Feingold related posts and updates. ;) (witty I am!)<br /><br />For more info on what the Feingold program is all about, visit the website <a href="http://www.feingold.org/what.php">http://www.feingold.org/what.php</a><!------->Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-67509499273636270872014-06-29T14:43:00.002-07:002014-06-29T14:43:39.198-07:00ADHD or Typical Boy Behavior?I've read many a books, visited many websites, frequented many message boards and Facebook groups and yet I feel that I'm not any closer to an answer. When is behavior attributed to ADHD and when is it typical boy behavior?<br />
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Some books I've read have even gone as far as saying that ADHD doesn't even exist. These authors suggest that ADHD is an invented disorder to label hyperactive or busy children. There is a startling statistic that boys are diagnosed with ADHD at a much more frequent rate then girls are. Also, many of these children are diagnosed based on behavior or academic issues at school. However, how much of that is ADHD verses different learning styles and personalities? <br />
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I'm going to share something - maybe a little shocking, or maybe not. So far all three of my oldest boys have been suggested to possibly have ADHD by their teachers. Only one has been diagnosed. My oldest son's teachers began to mention ADHD in as early as kindergarten. Every conference seemed to revolve around his behavior issues and ADHD. Finally we had him evaluated when he was in second grade. The pediatrician also ordered an IQ test. Our trusted pediatrician diagnosed my son not with ADHD but with being highly intelligent and bored, and his IQ test proved that "diagnosis". However, still the school wouldn't accept that and even suggested we get a second opinion. Thankfully my oldest son grew out of those behavior issues, thrived in school, and has succeeded on his own just fine. Imagine though if we had gotten a second opinion and that doctor had suggested medication. We would have been medicating him for no reason.<br />
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Then there is my second son. He's quite active and hyper. Teachers also began discussing his behavior very early on and throwing around the ADHD suspicions. I tried a new experimental program in which a pediatric psychiatrist from Children's Hospital met with my son and I via teleconferencing. He interviewed me and Brayden for an hour - asking a variety of mostly yes/no questions about his behavior. Afterwards he faxed a diagnoses of ADHD to our primary doctor along with a prescription for medication. I was really unhappy. I felt that it was way too easy to throw a prescription at us, and that he never got to actually get to know my son. The whole diagnosis process seemed to be far from an exact science. It would have been easy for me to over-exaggerate on my answers and receive the diagnosis and prescription even if my son hadn't had ADHD.<br />
A couple years later we decided to try two different therapists. I think that the suggestions and information that they gave him helped a lot. They confirmed his diagnosis of ADHD. One of them suggested medication, and we decided to revisit that idea. The new psychiatrist evaluated Brayden on a couple different occasions as well as worked with his therapist. He prescribed medication and we decided to give it a go. Brayden's academics were also struggling now, and this was one of our biggest concerns. The medication had to be adjusted and changed a few times, but eventually it seemed to really work! He started middle school with A's and B's and got on the honor roll for the first time. Amazing! People were actually complimenting us on his behavior.<br />
But then he started having adverse side effects from the medication. He developed a tic. Upon reading more about this medication, I really didn't like the idea of giving him a powerful stimulant for his growing and developing brain. So we switched medication again - this time a non-stimulant type. The tic seems to be going away finally. Yet, watching him and talking to others I really begin to doubt the ADHD diagnosis again. Yes, he's my most difficult child. Yes, he struggles with reading (although he got an A in writing!). Yes, he has impulse control issues. But he can also loves to spend hours learning about something he loves - such as metal detecting, or rock hunting, or medical procedures. He says that he wants to be a surgeon when he grows up. He has behavior issues - but how much of that is his personality and how much of it is a disorder? And what about diet? Diet has become a big possible cause of ADHD and other disorders. Studies have shown that processed foods and artificial dyes can cause ADHD-like behavior. So then, is it his diet that is out of whack?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5cYRZDsn9XrfHpUjrma3CLcq737h1GS50Dsn4o8AY92Pj8N1bQlGBP80NvPVkYr1oX0l1WJpqLkvQ0eYD36seA5SuaKSNt7_VdLFqnMa-BzTa17DoR1Mpp07Bw3I1Yx62_TauHGB958/s1600/african+education+meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Lastly, there is my third son. My third son had a pretty successful kindergarten through third grade. However, fourth grade hit and he was becoming Mr. Social. He has always been silly and goofy, but he really started to get out of control in fourth grade. He gets into trouble at school WAY far less then my oldest two did, yet his teacher suggested that I have him evaluated for ADHD because he has a hard time concentrating on work in class. I was surprised, yet not extremely surprised that the teacher brought that up at our last conference. It seems anytime a child has difficulties sitting still in their desk and focusing on work for long periods of time then they are suggested to have ADHD. However...now natural is that? How natural is it for busy, active children to be expected to sit still in a desk and focus quietly for hours? Studies show how important it is for boys to get up and move around. Some classrooms have actually experimented with this by allowing children to stand at their desk or play with a ball, etc while listening to lessons. Results showed that the students were still listening and learning while doing that, if not better!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5cYRZDsn9XrfHpUjrma3CLcq737h1GS50Dsn4o8AY92Pj8N1bQlGBP80NvPVkYr1oX0l1WJpqLkvQ0eYD36seA5SuaKSNt7_VdLFqnMa-BzTa17DoR1Mpp07Bw3I1Yx62_TauHGB958/s1600/african+education+meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5cYRZDsn9XrfHpUjrma3CLcq737h1GS50Dsn4o8AY92Pj8N1bQlGBP80NvPVkYr1oX0l1WJpqLkvQ0eYD36seA5SuaKSNt7_VdLFqnMa-BzTa17DoR1Mpp07Bw3I1Yx62_TauHGB958/s1600/african+education+meme.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I believe that ADHD is a completely made up disorder. I know that some children really do have things they struggle with. I am merely speaking from my own experiences and asking my own questions. Is ADHD over-diagnosed? I'm betting it is - based on my experience. So then, what exactly defines ADHD? Is it an exact science or is there room for error?Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-68786559187684822252014-06-23T22:27:00.002-07:002014-06-23T22:27:34.154-07:00Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We made a dirt pile recently because there are not many things more fun then a pile of dirt for boys to play in....well for that matter, girls too. <br />
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Unfortunately Abby doesn't yet know the rules about taking off the Sunday best clothes before play. So, while the rest of us obediently changed clothes , Abby sneaked out to the dirt pile. She was head first in it, laying on her belly and having a grand time when we found her. Oops. I have a feeling this won't be the last time, however. While Abby loves her pretties, she also loves dirt and playing with the boys!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-17548253362836670972014-06-21T14:48:00.004-07:002014-06-23T15:50:26.701-07:00Time to change the blog name. Need ideas!<br />
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I thought I had updated here since I've had the new baby. However, I realize now that I hadn't! *gasp*<br />
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Well in big news, for those who don't have me as friends on Facebok, baby number seven was another GIRL! This means that we are no longer Bunches O' Boys and One Little Girl. Therefore, I need to change the blog name and I'd love some ideas! Please comment with some new blog name suggestions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-UphrHH3uSWdq0z08KwkveFKemnupnFk3H3a6GxQCmWeu7HbRellFuYh7hVPvcDlb5aXWZmrns9pw__4yeaQ6F8-6eULb33DAn8xrRk_nqR9jWXc0bYH6JGEv3z33h9PCzb1l0qTfYU/s1600/1981846_10152146210681713_1884311603_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-UphrHH3uSWdq0z08KwkveFKemnupnFk3H3a6GxQCmWeu7HbRellFuYh7hVPvcDlb5aXWZmrns9pw__4yeaQ6F8-6eULb33DAn8xrRk_nqR9jWXc0bYH6JGEv3z33h9PCzb1l0qTfYU/s1600/1981846_10152146210681713_1884311603_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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Now for the details. Baby girl was born on April 7th, which also happens to be my late Grandmother's birthday, who also happens to be the one I planned to name the baby after if we had a girl. We came up with the name Eden Mae after my grandmother Edna Mae when we were pregnant with our fifth child. However, our fifth was a boy so we didn't get to use it. Then we had our girl, yet the name still didn't seem to fit. So we didn't use it. Now I know that its because our seventh, and final, child was meant to have the name!<br />
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Eden is fitting in well with our family now at almost three months old already. The boys love her and love to take turns holding her. Big sister Abby loves her, but also is learning how to be gentle. The big brothers have also really stepped up to give Abby lots of extra love and attention, which I'm sure helps with jealousy issues.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TKrmCqyl2xzbYO9fNZj3_R_rYHAh5lCbwDJhSiApgD6pBsbfn1ipB2fpZQnsP-X3y8uYqKMQQGuoBKR1z23F52JU12W8hZ0pvXhUC_NNMlbBXEAgMWcjwgcb9XxIU8zMZfC8VJTxidE/s1600/IMG_1485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TKrmCqyl2xzbYO9fNZj3_R_rYHAh5lCbwDJhSiApgD6pBsbfn1ipB2fpZQnsP-X3y8uYqKMQQGuoBKR1z23F52JU12W8hZ0pvXhUC_NNMlbBXEAgMWcjwgcb9XxIU8zMZfC8VJTxidE/s1600/IMG_1485.JPG" height="400" width="246" /></a><br />
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I am slowly adjusting to a new baby. I have to admit that I don't do well with new babies. They stress me out and I miss the freedom I had to get certain chores done (like even taking a shower...). It's like I get stuck in the new baby haze for the first year. After a year, I'm good. Getting babies on sleeping schedules is a big important milestone. I don't push for schedules so early on though and let the baby lead her own feeding/sleeping schedule. This makes it more difficult to get anything done, but its only for a short time.<br />
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You may have noticed me write earlier in this post that she is our *final* child. Yes, this is true. I'm 32 years old and have seven children. I've been parenting since I was 17 years old. I'm exhausted. I love my babies but I am SO EXCITED about moving on to the next chapter of life. I was never ready to talk about being done with having new babies after my fifth son. Then, having Abby, I felt a lot more comfortable with being done having children. Now that Eden is here, I feel even MORE comfortable and excited about being done. I want to enjoy her as my last baby. It was a perfect pregnancy, delivery, and now Abby has a little sister. I think it's a perfect time to end on a good note. Not to mention that my boys are getting older, and in three years will start the oldest kids graduating high school. I'm ready to move past the baby phase and on to the raising big kids phase. And I'm HAPPY about it. :)<br />
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One more update - Gabe graduated from preschool! He was so excited though that he couldn't keep still or quiet during the program. He was quite entertaining!<br />
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So that's my semi-brief update for now. Its summer break here, and as I said the new baby doesn't allow me much personal time (as I finish typing this she's crying...got to hurry up and finish!!). However, I will update later with more exciting things happening in our family.<br />
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Don't forget to pass along some new blog name ideas!<br />
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Thanks for reading :)<br />
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Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-10587623628324024942014-03-31T10:43:00.002-07:002014-03-31T10:43:35.652-07:00Odds and Ends - Quick Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't been able to post much on my blog lately. So sorry! After I made it through my last quarter of school, I went on a thinking/writing vacation. I will work on getting back to posting more though, I promise. :) I now have a nice long break from school until the fall. <br /><br />So some odds and ends updates...<br /><br />First of all - NO BABY yet! However, it can be pretty much any day now. Keep watching the next two weeks and you'll see a baby announcement soon enough. :) We still don't know if we're having a little Caleb or a little Eden. When we know - you'll know! <br /><br />As I mentioned my classes are over until the fall because I'm taking Spring quarter off. Yahoo! I also made the Dean's list for first quarter, and my second quarter grades are actually just as good if not better! I got a 110%, 100%, and 98% in my classes. Awesome Possum!<br /><br />The boys are doing well. Its been a rough couple of months. Alex didn't make the high school soccer team that we've been waiting for the last two years. That was a major bummer. :( However, he focused his efforts on a new exciting avenue...DRIVING! He turned 15 and started Driver's Education classes. I can't say I'm not a little frightened by the idea though... He, however, is ecstatic of course. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJNjlfbNvoIsE7CP8zlZ2I6RWmFuF5CXsHn6QmQnPKIcUL_aWxERPoyqjl8g6pGTfXtyMygB03WpzAlPoRdpXx_rQ8azuBGgNQyPJNJQbhVlmszFjyW-BFetxfkP1v8U_3RqIoEKnDbI/s1600/1979491_10152094386121713_117130243_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJNjlfbNvoIsE7CP8zlZ2I6RWmFuF5CXsHn6QmQnPKIcUL_aWxERPoyqjl8g6pGTfXtyMygB03WpzAlPoRdpXx_rQ8azuBGgNQyPJNJQbhVlmszFjyW-BFetxfkP1v8U_3RqIoEKnDbI/s1600/1979491_10152094386121713_117130243_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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Next Owen is doing well - super excited to be turning 10 tomorrow!! He's been doing well in school and is starting soccer now. Yay! <br />Billy Jr tried wrestling, but I'm afraid it didn't pan out so well. He thought it was fun at first, and then he started losing matches at the tournaments and wrestling lost its "fun factor" for him. Perhaps he was just a tad too young still... maybe we'll try again next year. He should get plenty of practice with his brothers!<br />Gabe is doing well in preschool and is now officially signed up for kindergarten! Oh my gosh! He's pretty excited to start kindergarten in the fall. <br />Abby is growing and talking more and more. She may even be done with her speech therapy by this summer. Yay! She refers to all of her brothers as "Brother". No names, they just all are "Brother". Its pretty cute. And she still has them wrapped around her finger of course! She loves babies, but I'm not sure how he's going to do with sharing the spotlight... time will tell soon enough!<br /><br />I left Brayden until last on purpose, because there is a lot to tell there. Right before Spring Break started he was chased and corned on playground equipment by four kids in his class who had the intent to "beat him up". One of them pushed him off of the top of the playground equipment, in which he landed on his arm. As he lay crying on the ground saying that his arm was broken, one of the kids continued to pick on him and kick him to try and get him to get up and fight back. They left him alone eventually but Brayden did end up breaking his wrist - in two places. He now has on a cast for the next few weeks. He's doing okay now and the kids responsible are getting into big trouble. :(<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeb53DLFjBY472sF8xjVrYgnPSCc4EIPN-og02lk4xT6dRSaphc4wcYr07eysnfHScPi79yTbIuSt26VJdDRNw6BOerK28tz1Y6zyjRkD4LeybZVm4AkE78LGNwf6GYI9zHl_SrpPZ90/s1600/10154342_10152122505256713_1857441221_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeb53DLFjBY472sF8xjVrYgnPSCc4EIPN-og02lk4xT6dRSaphc4wcYr07eysnfHScPi79yTbIuSt26VJdDRNw6BOerK28tz1Y6zyjRkD4LeybZVm4AkE78LGNwf6GYI9zHl_SrpPZ90/s1600/10154342_10152122505256713_1857441221_n.jpg" height="400" width="208" /></a><br /><br />That is about it for now though! Daddy has been busy working and now coaching soccer again! We have some big projects in the works including a new garden and a new front patio/entertaining area... hoping to get that done this spring. <br /><br />Keep checking back for a baby announcement as well!<br /><br />Until next time....Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-27343137065067064562014-03-04T10:53:00.003-08:002014-03-04T10:53:43.482-08:00Lots of updates!Oh wow - what a busy 2014 and its only barely just March!<br /><br />So some quick recaps and pictures (of course)...<br /><br /><b><u>JANUARY</u></b><br />
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Not long after Abby's birthday, the oldest two boys tried out their new snowboarding/skiing lessons. Unfortunately, the first day of lessons resulted in a broken wrist. One might think it was Brayden who broke his wrist, considering how active and energetic he is, but no - it was Alex. At least he got a full day of snowboarding fun in before breaking it during the final few minutes before he was to leave...<br />
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OUCH!<br /><br />Next we celebrated Gabe's 5th birthday! Unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures, even though we had some awesome Minecraft cupcakes made for him, because he was sick on his birthday. :(<br />
<br />I also got to take the oldest three boys to a hockey game because it was Boy Scout night. After the hockey game, the boys got to ice skate on the rink for over an hour. It was a long night, but fun!<br /><br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">FEBRUARY</u><br /><br />February is our big birthday month! Because Owen's birthday isn't until April, I decided to take him out and have a fun "mommy/son" date with shopping and ice cream. But shhhhh...I'm not supposed to call it that according to Owen! He says its just an "outing".<br /><br />
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<br />Now for birthdays....<br /><br />Billy Jr turned 7! What a big boy. He also started wrestling (a few pictures down...)<br />
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Alex turned 15! Scary how time flies... He will be starting Driver's Ed very soon!<br />
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Then Brayden turned 12! <br />
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As mentioned previously...Billy Jr started wrestling. He's having a fun time with it, I think. However it may be a bit intimidating for his first year. He had his first tournament and did good in the beginning but then soon was way too tired/overstimulated. He gave up on his last match and when we got home he slept for four hours! (Billy is in the blue...)</div>
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Abby is doing good - spoiled as ever. I love this picture - here she is getting horsey rides from biggest brother.</div>
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Also! Brayden got on the honor roll last semester! Way to go!!<br />
(I had a picture to post..but realized that it says his school name which I don't really want posted publicly....sorry!)<br />
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And finally, baby seven is still growing well! We're still on track for an April delivery. :) So stay tuned!</div>
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<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-29480967699505920092014-01-04T16:27:00.001-08:002014-01-04T16:27:32.716-08:00Technology is evil!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Overall, great advances have been made in technology and some of those advances are quite beneficial, even life-saving. However, the instant easy access that every one - young and old - have to constant interaction, the Internet, etc. is scary. Often it reminds me of the movie Wall-E in which people just float around on their electronic scooters attached to their phones, tablets, whatever it may be. No interaction other then of the virtual type.<br />The next thing you know, people are going to be seriously hiring another person to lead them around so that they don't have to look up from their phones. <a href="http://improveverywhere.com/2013/04/30/seeing-eye-people/">http://improveverywhere.com/2013/04/30/seeing-eye-people/</a><br />
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I watch my own family, and see how easily we can be swept up into the virtual world. Given the chance, my boys would stay on the computer or video games all day...only surfacing for meals and bathroom breaks. I know that can't be healthy for their growing brains! One study I read suggested that extended periods of video games can even cause symptoms of psychosis in children/adolescents. Yikes.<br />
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We made the mistake of getting a smartphone for our oldest son. Now we have to figure out how to go back on it without being totally mean parents. Or maybe that's just what we need to be. I guess the first children are for learning on, and learning from mistakes. Oops.<br /><br />There are so many scary stories in the media of children and youth being bullied, sharing inappropriate pictures, bullying others, or sharing personal details with random strangers who sometimes are child predators. I just didn't have that sort of issue to deal with when I was a kid. The home had one shared family computer. Nothing else connected to the Internet. And the Internet we did have was dial-up. If too many people in our town were on the Internet at the same time, then we'd get a busy signal and have to wait awhile. It was first come-first serve. I found chat rooms and "IM" (instant messaging) when I was a teenager. I remember how addicting they were. My dad once threatened to throw the computer out of the window. I now know how he feels. I want to throw the cell phones, the ipods, the xboxes, and the computers out of the window at times as well.<br /><br />The future scares me. I hope that all this technology is just like a shiny new toy and we'll figure things out soon, such as limits, boundaries, and moderation. However, I don't think that is likely to happen. Instead of things getting better with more technology, they seem to be getting worse.<br /><br />In closing, take it from my first-hand experience, kids have enough to deal with. The world of technology is often outside of their maturity level. Let them be young and innocent for as long as they can. They really won't suffer if they don't get the latest smartphone. I never had a cell phone until I was a young adult. I didn't miss it. I wrote notes to my friends and called them on the house phone. I survived.Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-45425595874265534912014-01-02T10:41:00.002-08:002014-01-02T10:41:16.489-08:00Happy New Year and a Happy Birthday too!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy 2014! Last year wasn't too bad, but I'm hoping for even more good things to come in this new year.<br />To start with, we'll be welcoming our new baby to the Bunch in April. We decided not to find out the gender. So that will be an exciting surprise to look forward to! <br />Half of the family thinks baby will be another boy, but a few of us think girl as well (myself included!)<br />We shall see!!<br /><br />No other super excited updates to post. However, every time I come to my blog and see how many wonderful visits I get on average each day - it makes me feel so guilty for not posting more!<br />SO...faithful visitors...what do YOU want to see on this blog? How can I make it better (with the number one choice being posting more obviously)?<br /><br />Classes are starting back up again for me in a few days, however it will be my last quarter before the new baby comes. Then I will get a break until the Fall quarter. Yay!!<br /><br />Some possible new posts to look forward to in the new year, however, includes another attempt at trying to change the way we eat. Specifically I'm looking at the Feingold diet to help with ADHD-like behaviors. I'm being more and more suspicious that many of my boys are just sensitive to artificial dyes and certain foods. We are an allergy-prone family after all. <br />Also, I'm in an organization kick and hope to post some ideas I've found that works for me and my Bunch as well as before and after pictures.<br />THEN after April, I will start working on getting into shape and losing weight again. Yahoo! <br />Oh, of course there is the ever-losing battle of getting my family whipped into a routine and working on behavior. I'd love to post more about that - what works, what doesn't work, and maybe even bounce some ideas off you all. <br />Of course, photos are always appreciated I'm sure. So I hope to post more photo updates here. I've not been good at even taking pictures lately!<br /><br />So...now that's out of the way. Let's move on to the BIRTHDAY GIRL!!<br /><br />Little Miss Abigail is TWO! Two years have gone by. I don't know how that's even possible.<br /><br />Here is a fun little collage I made of her first two years... <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHY3TuUvrCtBbNTaYa_uMBt1tyVVbk34KB4tcrYPZnmsqxnyiAlGcvnOxWoQW49eoi2C9AT4GXjWF8qLNQXR73YV90yqJmI9A5CrkrpbeyE8AAwVxcickmRpuu-xIK5qUtXMn5JfMnGFA/s1600/2014-01-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHY3TuUvrCtBbNTaYa_uMBt1tyVVbk34KB4tcrYPZnmsqxnyiAlGcvnOxWoQW49eoi2C9AT4GXjWF8qLNQXR73YV90yqJmI9A5CrkrpbeyE8AAwVxcickmRpuu-xIK5qUtXMn5JfMnGFA/s640/2014-01-01.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />And now.. TODAY starting her Terrific Two's! She's two sweet to be in her terrible two's. I refuse to call them that. :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJTii-3KNyuvqN341HJ49quPZjEiETa-LpGsBmeSyAdTiIkfCkF2VdnYvUlLZH_Gjt_U0c6zjlEAhVg2owd3WLNHyCgkjqDv4L8P-UJTAISOaGAJJWZFNdonFjPwouvV3mXQ2m6JyC9Q/s1600/IMG_1159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJTii-3KNyuvqN341HJ49quPZjEiETa-LpGsBmeSyAdTiIkfCkF2VdnYvUlLZH_Gjt_U0c6zjlEAhVg2owd3WLNHyCgkjqDv4L8P-UJTAISOaGAJJWZFNdonFjPwouvV3mXQ2m6JyC9Q/s400/IMG_1159.JPG" width="266" /></a><br /><br />Until next time!<br /><br />~BethanyBethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-1861425244920681192013-09-16T12:05:00.000-07:002013-09-16T12:05:07.364-07:00My new morning routine...School season. I couldn't wait for it to come, and now I look forward to weekends. There just is no pleasing me, is there?<br /><br />Here is the reason that school season is not so fun.<br /><br />On a typical school day I wake up at 5:30am to wake the teenager up. He has to go to seminary classes, which is something our church does for high school aged kids. Its scripture study, for the most part. Since the teenager isn't really a morning person and doesn't yet see the merit in seminary class, I have to bribe him out of bed. I promise him breakfast, made by me, if he gets out of bed in a timely manner. I'm happy to make him breakfast if he "happily" goes to seminary classes every morning. Now, I never said what kind of breakfast. Sometimes he gets pancakes, or sometimes just cold cereal. It works.<br /><br />Then I drive him to seminary class by 6:30am and get back home to wake up the rest of the kids. For some reason none of them can dress themselves without me standing there handing them each article of clothing.<br />
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<br />They'd be content with just going in yesterday's shorts and mustard-stained t-shirt if I let them. Some mornings I have to practically drag them into the shower and threaten that I will wash their hair myself if they won't! (always works).<br />
<br />So, after the dragging out of bed, making sure there is breakfast and washing out bowls (because for some reason we can't keep dishes in this house and only have four cereal bowls at the moment), handing out clothes and making sure no one has sneaked off to play video games...I take the 11 yr old to middle school first. <br />For some reason the schools around here can't start on the same, or near same, schedule. The middle school, junior high, and high school all start at 7:45 but the elementary schools start at 8:25. Big difference since I can't drop off my elementary kids until 8am at the earliest. So I make another trip. I drop off the 11 yr old and come back home, hoping and crossing my fingers that the younger kids have finished getting ready as I instructed them to.<br />Usually that is not the case.<br /> Usually no one has shoes on yet, and no one knows where their shoes even are. Often we finally get everyone clean, dressed, shoes and all, and into the car only to find out that someone left their back pack inside. Sometimes I don't even realize this until we get to school and someone is missing a backpack, so I have to mad dash back home to grab it and get it to them before the school bell rings.<br /><br />Finally, finally. 8:10am is my happy time. The house is quiet. Everyone but the 4 yr old and baby girl are in school. This is when school season is really worth it. But, of course the quiet doesn't last long and in seven hours I have to do the rat race all over again, figuring out where my big kids are and how they are getting home and waiting in the car line to pick up the younger kids, hoping and crossing my fingers that they are on time getting to me today because the 4 yr old has to use the bathroom, my morning sickness is getting the best of me, and the baby girl is tired of waiting in her car seat.<br /><br />School season - its a love/hate relationship.Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-818937956336613052013-09-12T12:46:00.004-07:002013-09-12T12:46:59.491-07:00Big Announcement...as promised. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week I hinted that I had an update to post very soon.<br /><br />Well, I am happy to say that I can post that announcement now.<br /><br />In April of next year the Bunches O' Boys and One Little Girl will be getting a new sibling! I may have to change the blog name to "Bunches O' Boys and Two Little Girls"...you never know! ;)<br /><br />Baby makes 9 (including mom and dad). Wow!<br /><br />No, I never imagined I'd have such a big family.<br /><br />No, I don't know when we'll be done having children...that is kind of up to my husband and I.<br /><br />Yes, we are happy even though it's a bit of a surprise.<br /><br />Yes, we know what causes it (obviously).<br /><br />There is so much negativity out there about large families, I have found. I'm not sure why everyone likes to make it their business on how many kids people choose to have. One kid or ten, its no one's business to judge. Yet, judge they do.<br /><br />I've yet to hear (too many) negative comments, but I am sure its coming. LOL! I will just put on a happy face and throw positive things right back to the naysayers.<br /><br />Here is a close-up of baby #7:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibq6fzX1ESfQVKmdauCg3eWpXsWuOgUCsfOP3dGe6Ku7fY_6Eo-rwnEXFze4hcF8LYWT87INFSGlG7PysLHoXhOrFlR8gHHc60sGv28TsyF29j051zNPQ-CtHy2foaKWuPWHcByaPpp60/s1600/baby7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibq6fzX1ESfQVKmdauCg3eWpXsWuOgUCsfOP3dGe6Ku7fY_6Eo-rwnEXFze4hcF8LYWT87INFSGlG7PysLHoXhOrFlR8gHHc60sGv28TsyF29j051zNPQ-CtHy2foaKWuPWHcByaPpp60/s400/baby7.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-27773504157815304462013-09-05T12:04:00.000-07:002013-09-05T12:11:12.768-07:00Back to school confessions<br />
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So...summer is over. It went by way too fast. Don't take that to mean that I was sad to see the boys go back to school, because I wasn't. I was excited. And I am not ashamed to admit it! I tried to keep the boys busy this summer with trips to grandparents' houses, zoo trips, amusement parks, bowling, beaches, and regular city parks. Its exhausting, however. Not to mention how much my house suffered. I wish I had boundless energy and ten arms, but I don't (or not, that would be weird).<br />
The simple truth is that I can't entertain the kids, make them all happy, serve them three healthy meals a day, and keep the house clean. Nope. Can't do it. It was either one or the other... The house suffered.<br />
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Now the boys are back in school and I have quiet afternoons with just the 4 yr old, baby sister, and me. :) I can pick up a room and it STAYS that way.<br />
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As a bonus, the boys LOVE school. They prefer to be at school anyway, because at home they have to compete with their brothers and help me clean. So its a win-win as I see it!<br />
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Next confession, I am a big dreamer but not a great do-er. Before summer started I was making Pinterest lists of cool summer things to do - fun summer crafts, outside activities, summer fun to-do lists, and so on. I even made up laminated summer schedules for us. Yep, I even laminated them. Did we use them? No. Did I do anything I pinned on Pinterest? No. I am ashamed to admit that we didn't even make it to the library once, *gasp*. I just lack the patience to bring all the kids into a quiet library. My kids don't have volume control. And toys in a library are just begging to be played with, and played with loudly. So we avoid the library. Still, we could have done SOME reading. So yeah...I slacked off there. The school sent out a comparison sheet of the kids who read every day compared to those that don't. Big time guilt trip. I thought about it every day, but it was just easier to give in to the kids then fight about reading. Oops. Next summer will be better, I promise!<br />
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Now school has started and we are trying to start new, better, habits right away. I have found that suddenly changing the boys' normal routine can cause major drama. SO, we are trying to start the year off right. That means no video games before school, homework and go through backpacks, sign any paperwork, etc. as soon as they get home from school and get their snack. No computers, video games, etc. until homework is done. This may mean a later dinner, but I've found that leaving homework until evening quite often means homework is done too fast and sloppy or just all-together forgotten. Oops.<br />
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Here is to a successful year and good routines!! :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Psst....Check back next week for an exciting update. ;)</span><br /><br /><i>(Don't forget the non-school kiddos too! Enjoying home time with mommy)</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVKHcb6GTW_TQMqD_B0uAvkOjLcRYRk3Z4sSd4qUA1jbVjl2GH272URgcZD9YFZx2Fa_Sh4yNaUSIySLpUb5z6UDraZnom8QEE1JNtrMm_Nrg-p0HPMdhk5CdoNk6-2fw1sNto2HQJCo/s1600/1-IMG_0456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-25730836730263724012013-07-31T19:54:00.001-07:002013-07-31T19:54:35.364-07:00Summer MadnessSummer time is crazy...trying to keep up with these boys exhausts me!<br /><br />The key to keeping the kiddos out of trouble is keeping them BUSY. I've been trying to run them around like crazy, but I'm running out of ideas (and energy!)<br />So far there has been taking turns at Grandmas' houses a week at a time. That has probably been the most fun for them. Nothing compares to Grandmas' spoiling! ;) Also, I've been taking them to the "beach" a few times. However, the kids were pretty disappointed in our local river beach that is all pebbly. So instead they played in the volleyball sand pit.<br />Also our local bowling alley is part of the free kids bowling in the summer! We have been doing a game of bowling at least once a week. Its fun...but Gabe (4 years old) doesn't have quite enough patience for a whole game of bowling. There is a lot of waiting for turns with all those siblings!<br />Next has been a few of the local parks, but those get boring as well. Its tough with Abby since she's so little and can't run and play like the others. Usually it ends up me holding Abby in the hot sun and hoping the time goes faster...<br />I think our next adventure for the week will be geocaching! That sounds like a lot of fun, and right up the boys' alley. I will update on those adventures soon.<br />Oh! And we had a zoo trip, but I haven't downloaded those pictures yet. It was fun, and we only lost Billy Jr twice. ;)<br /><br />In other news, Abby is walking! All the time she walks, rarely does she crawl. She still is working on her talking but I know she'll get there in her own time.<br /><br />As for the adults - we are busy with kids, work, and school. I have signed up for my classes in the fall. I'm super excited to be attending Central WA University and getting my bachelor's degree in two years. YAY! I will be pursuing the social sciences area, perhaps focusing more on psychology.<br /><br />Okay - a few pix to entertain you until next time! :)<br />
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<b>Alex when staying the week with his Auntie :)</b><br />
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<b>How the boys entertain themselves if I don't find ways to keep them busy...</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ_4C9MfGj07QFafcC6TC9O63cM7URJ468O5Z4JI_eF9Wg5D-dKOLsx_FIvjsTMWFymmfd8c8OjrTOzq-exxdMYX0HIJ-S1tw69fmC75c_Y2mwJB1XMPJK1-uZOG_brmt-iLtk9l0D-w/s1600/969326_10151574746431713_1914105365_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ_4C9MfGj07QFafcC6TC9O63cM7URJ468O5Z4JI_eF9Wg5D-dKOLsx_FIvjsTMWFymmfd8c8OjrTOzq-exxdMYX0HIJ-S1tw69fmC75c_Y2mwJB1XMPJK1-uZOG_brmt-iLtk9l0D-w/s400/969326_10151574746431713_1914105365_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Fun kids fishing day! We got three huge 8+ lb Rainbow Trout. Yummy!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Z9A7eNzu2MnjKkvb4sXt8owwyqR1NU2Sv62tiKMAri4DO_dH0pZ6UC_4C9TPJuhyphenhyphenNpb6c6IwF-TXXy8YmcJMi40mlrO8i_KdVba7dPkDnt1XPbTvU5YP55hDVyaM4I21ocwNNZFiWz0/s1600/984179_10151525236166713_1696376006_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Z9A7eNzu2MnjKkvb4sXt8owwyqR1NU2Sv62tiKMAri4DO_dH0pZ6UC_4C9TPJuhyphenhyphenNpb6c6IwF-TXXy8YmcJMi40mlrO8i_KdVba7dPkDnt1XPbTvU5YP55hDVyaM4I21ocwNNZFiWz0/s400/984179_10151525236166713_1696376006_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>And a recent picture of cutie Abby, always the little princess :)</b></div>
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<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3714904969097709257.post-60165613405778517452013-05-29T00:39:00.001-07:002013-05-29T00:39:30.342-07:00Shame on me...I don't know how mommy bloggers do it. I can't keep up this blog for the life of me!<br />
I love that I still have daily visits to this blog, even if I haven't updated in a few months. Shame shame on me!<br />To my dedicated visitors - thank you!<br />
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Now, moving on my from guilt trip and onto other things...<br />
<br />Soccer season and school has sucked the time right out of my days. Yeah, I do have time to check Facebook. Sorry. However, there is a difference between checking Facebook from my iPad, while lunch is cooking on the stove, while I keep one eye on the baby, one eye on the 4 yr old pestering the dog, and another eye on the screen. Wait... Anyway, my point is that Facebook updates do not take any certain level of skill or brain activity really. I can check Facebook in my sleep. Literally. Blogging, however, takes a quiet house, kids all in bed, hubby too, and a spark of energy to ignite my brain waves again. <br /><br />In other updates,<br />Boys' soccer season is over for now. yay. Owen and Brayden had a good time and Alex enjoyed his first year of reffing games for money. (First job, yeah!) Its been a pretty good year, and I think public school is suiting them well. They are all excited to start their summer break!<br /><br />Abby has started walking finally - my latest of the kids at 17 months. She still is often carried around and passed from brother to brother, however, so that may have something to do with it. She also finally started to say some words - mostly "eye", "hi" (they sound the same but the context is different, this is important), and "this", Everything else is "ooooh!" The world is fascinating to her right now. Every color, every sound, every object is super cool to her.<br />
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Now the school year is almost over and the boys are looking forward to summer. I have great things lined up for us this year. No laying around wasting the days away. We have trips planned to grandparents' and aunt's houses, zoos, amusement parks, scouting camps and hikes, free bowling (Sign up for Kids Bowl Free if you haven't already!) and summer reading contests. My goal is to keep them as busy as possible. This will hopefully lessen the odds of a cranky, stressed out mom. Bored kids find other ways to entertain themselves, which may or may not be a good thing.<br /><br />My article this month in the Kid's Connect magazine is on creative toys kids can make. My boys LOVE to scrounge up random junk and tape them together to make something from their imagination. They don't get to do it often enough, however. I was inspired while watching the Youtube video on Caine's Arcade to get the boys' imagination churning this summer again. Here are the links to Caine's Arcade (make sure to watch part 2 as well!) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faIFNkdq96U">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faIFNkdq96U</a><br />Kids NEED to use their imagination more. Too much focus is spent on toys that do everything for you these days. How will our future generations ever learn to invent, create, and imagine if they are never given the chance?<br />Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02026632623397168840noreply@blogger.com0