Melt your heart moment

Today, we are staying home and having our last lazy day just the three of us. While I was on my computer, Cody comes over and gives me a hug and a kiss. Oh, it was a melt your heart moment for sure! I love my sweet, precious boy!!

School Shopping

The kids are all set for a new school year. Today, we went shoe shopping and found awesome deals! Cody's $54.99 Skechers for $19.99 with a buy one shoe get the other half off, plus an extra 20% off! Carleigh's shoes were $10 with the 20% coupon as well. The kids LOVE their new shoes and it will be very hard persuading them NOT to wear them until school starts. Carleigh told the cashier that she wanted a separate bag for her shoes. LOL!

I have just a few days left and will be working in my room starting on Wednesday. Tomorrow is going to be a lazy, relaxing day with the kids and Tuesday we have dentist appointments.

It has been quite the summer break!

Hitting the Big 4-0!!

(and this is not about age because I am FAR from that!!)

Cody is officially in the 40 pound range! Yes, he is 6.5 years old and is now 41 lbs. I so wanted to shout with glee when I saw the scale. Yay! It's very hard for Cody to gain weight due to his ADHD meds which suppress his appetite. It's frustrating at times! Of course Cody has always been a skinny little guy, I just wish he was a little more plump like before he could walk. Once he was mobile, nothing stopped him from exploring and running off any baby "fat" he had.

So many big changes are coming for my little guy!!

Education

I recently read a blog about homeschooling and its superiority. First of all, education is different for each child. What is best for one child is not best for another child.

Case in point, my children. Both of my children have special-needs and require extensive private physical, speech and occupational therapy inside and outside of the school district. I would not even fathom taking them out of all their services so that I could home-school them. They are being instructed by professionals who specialize in what they do. They attend public school and are flourishing. No, they are not being taught about the Lord, but we do that at home as well as our church. I'll be honest that I could not do what these wonderful educators do. Public education is best for them.

I am not bashing home-schooling in any way. I am just offended by individuals who think that homeschooling is the superior way and if you are not homeschooling them you are inferior or worldly! I have lots of friends who home school and that works best for their families. These friends do not have that superior attitude.

The blogger then went on to talk badly about "religious schools." I can tell by her sentence that she obviously had never attended or sent her children to a Christian school. As most of you are well aware, I am a teacher at a Christian school. It totally offended me when I heard her saying that "religious schools" are erroneous and worldly. I beg to differ because we teach the Word of God and the truth. We attended conferences and workshops about the world view and we teach the truth. This is not to say that we are perfect and our students are perfect. No, we are not perfect, but no one on the earth is!

Families come in different sizes and situations. It's awesome that some families are blessed to have moms who stay home. This is not an option to a lot of families (like myself), especially single parents. Therefore, the option to home-school is more of an option for those who have one parent at home.

I am thankful to live in a country in which I can decide how my child is educated. I am also thankful to the Lord for the knowledge He has given me to decide what is best for my children in the areas of education.

Whether it be public, private or home-school education, I know that not one of these choices is superior, but what is best for CHILD is what is to be determined!

This and That

We have all the school supplies needed for Kindergarten and 1st grade. Yay! I really felt the sting on the budget! The kids enjoyed picking out their backpack. Carleigh chose a Kai Lan and Cody chose Buzz Lightyear. He also chose a Buzz lunch box. We just need a few more things like shoes, a few clothes, etc. and they will be ready! This week, both children have pediatrician appointments.

Carleigh's appointment was today and it went well. She told the doctor when she was looking in her ears that she had "frogs" in there. LOL! I have no idea where she got that one! She did really great on all the milestone accomplishments and did everything expected except for one fine motor thing. She was on average for height and slightly above average in weight....the girl is 43.75 inches tall and 52 pounds!)

This month will be THE month for appointments, besides OT/PT weekly appointments, we will have pediatrician visits, dentist visits, and eye appointment for Carleigh. One good thing about this is that I will not have to take personal days for any of these and barring any sick visits, will not have to take them to the dr. for another year! Yay!

If you want a good laugh, come to my house because, you never know WHAT my two will say. Today, Carleigh grabbed Cody and ran into his room shouting "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" While I was cleaning Cody's room, he came in and started singing his new favorite songs "Bad boys, bad boys, watcha going do?" I am so amazed at their speech improvement this summer!

We are getting ready for a yard sale and a trip to Lake Erie this month. And I am already getting my classroom back together for a new school year. It's amazing how fast summer goes by!

Conversations with Carleigh

Carleigh has kept us in stitches lately! You never know what she will say or do next (some things are not appropriate for the blog)!

This week she has:

*sneaked out of Cody's room through the door that connects to the laundry room and proceeded to turn the washer on without any clothes in it.

*ate gerbil food.

*rode her bike "super fast" as she puts it.

*turned on the dvd player, changed the tv setting to play a movie and hit play all by herself.

*helped me do the laundry.

*tries to boss everyone around.

*if she likes something you are doing, she will say "I love you __________."

What she has said this week:

"I am sooooo happy!"

"Oh, this is soooo comfy!"

"That is enough!"

"This is so tasty!"

"I want to ride bus 45!" (Okay, not sure where she got that one!)

Her big questions are "Why...." and "What are you/they doing?"

And she has been saying a few other things that are just HILARIOUS!

I am starting to see a lot of maturity in her and it's very exciting to see. She is also starting to be a great helper. If we could just keep her out of mischief......

Back to School Shopping

Unfortunately, the summer is almost over and we are in the midst of Back to School shopping. I have done some of the shopping already since a few stores have had great sales. Both Carleigh and Cody have school supply lists this year and I am trying to get them separated!

And this year, I have to buy Cody a LUNCH BOX! Yes, my baby will be at school all day! I just cannot believe it! It seems like yesterday when we brough our premie home from the hospital. He is also going to a new school so it will definitely be a such a change for my little guy AND he will not be riding the bus with his sister. And if you haven't seen him lately, I think he has grown at least an inch this summer. Lots of changes here! *sigh*

Carleigh told me a few days ago "I miss school." I told her that in a few weeks she would be going back and going every day like Cody did last year. She is very excited.

And yes, I am getting ready for another school year. Last night was the first time I had been in my classroom working on Back to School things.

Challenger Awards Picnic

Cody's Challenger League had their Awards ceremony at Monkeyland Park (a private park) yesterday. Despite the heat, it was a great time! There was a D.J. (and of course Cody wanted to be with him all the time), carnival games with great prizes, playground, lunch, and hayrides. It was really shady in most areas so we stayed cool for awhile.

Cody was the first player of the league to receive his trophy since the Angels are the first team in the alphabet. He LOVES his trophy (mostly because the baseball spins)! I'm going to get a wooden shelf and place it on there with his team portrait. This is his first ever trophy and no doubt just the beginning of many trophies!

It was great meeting parents who face similar struggles and it's comforting to know that we are not alone! And Carleigh cannot wait until next year when SHE gets a trophy!

Hayride

The Monkeys own this campground and park and took families on hayrides around their park. They have a really nice pond and cute campsites. My kiddos really enjoyed the ride despite the 90's temps.

His favorite prizes

It took Cody about 15 sucker pulls to get his prized possession.....an inflatable piano! But boy did he cry with glee when I handed it to him! Carleigh also won him a pink saxophone as well.

Molly and Minnie

We have two furry additions to the family! A couple of months ago, one of the teachers at my school asked me if I would like gerbils for my classroom or for home. I started to think, well, since we cannot have a dog, this would be a good pet for the kids. I slowly forgot about it until this week when my co-worker sent me an email. She has about 30 gerbils! Whoa! We managed to get a cage from another teacher and I had to buy bedding, food, and water bottle which were fairly cheap. These gerbils were born in early July and they are just a fraction of the size they will grow to be.

Let me tell you that Carleigh has been excited! All day Wednesday and yesterday, we talked about her "sherbets" (that is how she pronounces gerbils). When I pulled into the driveway last night with the rodents, Matt told her that I pulled up. Well, the girl SCREAMED so loud that I heard her from inside my van! She was immediately at the van ready to help with whatever! LOL!

It was so cute watching them observe the gerbils. Of course the poor gerbils are scared due to loud noises, Cody clapping his hands and kicking his feet with excitement for them and of course trying to pick one up!

It was so cute when Molly would run on the wheel in her cage. The kids would laugh and Cody would say "Do it again mouse!"

Bedtime was difficult because neither child wanted to leave their dear friends. No doubt that these additions will cause many funny stories in the future!

Teacher & Parenting Blog

Lately, I felt the urge to create a blog for teachers and parents who homeschool. I enjoy helping the teachers in my school with Smartboard lessons and ideas, however, I wanted to share and learn with other educators/parents world-wide. So, tonight I finished my teacher website. Feel free to visit it and share with fellow friends/parents. And I will be looking for ideas and resources. If you would like to help, just let me know!

Here is the new blog:

http://educatingthechild.blogspot.com

Banjos and "Cops"

Yes, I know that it sounds like a strange title, but this blog post is dedicated to the Codeman. Today, we went up the street to visit my sister and Cody noticed my brother-in-law's banjo case. He immediately wanted to play it. So, Jerry got the other banjo with his pick and was playing for Cody. The boy was in HEAVEN! He loves mountain music and well, just about any musical instrument. Jerry showed him how to strum a few cords and Cody LOVED it! It was so cute and now I am thinking about banjos and other things for Christmas gifts.

Tonight, Matt was watching "Cops" and Cody started singing the song tune. I laughed so hard when I heard Cody sing "Bad Boys, watcha gonna do? watcha gonna do when they come for you?"

Love it!!!

Introducing.....

the new Carleigh! I took the plunge and got her hair cut in a bob! She and I LOVE it! Plus, it is easier to manage! She said her hair was like Mommy's and I guess she is right. It makes her look older and so cute.

Just a few more weeks...

I have about a month off now before I have to be back at school. It's amazing how the summer goes by so fast! I had such a difficult school year and entertained thoughts of doing something else. However, time and relaxation helped tremendously and I am looking forward to a new class of wonderful possibilities! I also miss my co-workers and friends. I just ordered my usual teacher order and am now thinking of creating a new, more current class webpage.

The kids and I are going to do some school shopping today since BOTH have supply lists this year! I figure if I space it out over a few weeks, it will not be as expensive or hard on the wallet!

I so did not enjoy seeing Walmart's Back to School aisles ready before I left for vacation last week!

Angels Team Portrait

Can you find my Cody?

(He is in the front row, second player!)

Tomorrow is his last game of the year and he will have a banquet/picnic at the end of the month with food, games, and fun! It was fun meeting other parents with children who face similar challenges as well as meeting wonderful helpers and coaches who have fallen in love with my son!

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN in Pictures

We left early Saturday morning (before 6:30am) and headed to the Smoky Mountains. We had almost a smooth drive except for the traffic being at a standstill for 30 minutes. Apparently someone was running from the police, had a high-speed chase, and then had a shoot-out on north-bound I-75 just north of Lexington. Both north and sound bound lanes were closed. It was very weird to see people get out of their cars on the highway and talk to people they didn't know. Some guy came up to us and would give us updates.

Once that was passed, we arrived at our hotel around 1pm. We walked around and swam every evening.

On the final full day there, we went to Ripley's Aquarium (of course I left my camera in the hotel then but got a few good pics on my cell phone if I can figure out how to upload them here), rode rides and go to drive go-karts on an elevated, spiral track. The kids LOVED the go-karts and did not want to get out of them.

It was a wonderful relaxing vacation and the kids are already excited about visiting Lake Erie next month!