Preschool Update

I get questions periodically about how the homeschooling is going. I am actually enjoying it quite a bit these days. We have school on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (unless there are special circumstances such as an illness) for about an hour, depending on the art projects we are doing.

Hannah absolutely loves school and asks for it nearly every day. Zach joins us when it looks interesting. :) We are currently on letter L, the color orange (anaranjado), the number 8, and the shape square. We also study the current Cubbies verse, learn Bible stories, work on handwriting, phonics, math, creative activities and have a social studies and science lesson surrounding the Bible story almost each lesson. For example, we are studying the days of creation in Genesis 1. We have been learning about grass for the last week (types of grass, how it keeps soil from eroding, what eats it). Since the kids already know their colors, we always translate those into Spanish. We play outside when we can, sing songs all the time, and Dora and Mickey are never too far away. LOL

By the way, I keep all of the papers and colorings they are doing with school. If any grandparent would like to take some samples, you are more than welcome!

Happy Halloween!

Like the new picture?

The new picture I posted at the top of the page was taken a few days ago on our property, deep in the western woods. (Sounds kinda spooky when I say it that way!) Chad took it after all that rain. It's a seasonal creek. Who would have thought that there was this gorgeous waterfall on our property?

Still here!

What a month this has been! All three of the kids took turns being sick, with Rebecca and Hannah taking it the hardest. Rebecca celebrated her birthday. Has it really been a year? Good thing we had her party the Saturday before her birthday because the sweet little thing was all snotty and yucky on her actual birthdate.

I have been feeling lousy for awhile. As I mentioned previously, I went to the Wellness Institute about my back. They were able to help me some, but I could not justify the travel time (40 minutes one way) or the cost for long-term care. Instead, I will get some blood work done to rule out any other problems, and possibly have physical therapy again. But first I must get past my latest hurdle. Went to the doctor this morning and was diagnosed with bronchitis. I have had this many times before so I really should have recognized the symptoms before today. Guess I was too busy to notice. Based on the descriptions on www.webmd.com, looks like Acute Bronchitis and the cough will last 2-3 weeks. Perhaps I will be all cleared up before Chad and I take an anniversary trip in 3 weeks.

After arguing with my new computer about the camera software, Chad got all the kinks worked out and I am trying to get caught up with all the pictures. I have uploaded Rebecca's birthday party pics to Snapfish and will share after I do some editing. Having trouble with the movies because my camera records them in a format that Snapfish does not support so I'll have to convert them before sharing.

Hope everyone has a fun Halloween. Our church is joining forces with another church in town and we will host a Community Fall Festival in the elementary school parking lot. Hannah is going as Arial (Little Mermaid), Zach is Spider Man and Rebecca is a dalmatian puppy (same costume I made for Zach two years ago!). I am going as a sick and bundled up mommy who will not stay for too long.

I've Got Issues

I got an afternoon off from the kiddos two Saturdays ago and went to the Prosper Arts & Music Festival. I wandered up and down the aisles picking up goodies here and there, admiring arts and crafts, and wishing I had time to get back to my hobbies. I happened upon a booth for The Wellness Institute and paused. A woman asked if I wanted to have a wellness checkup. Since I have been feeling under the weather for many months now, I agreed.

After a brief questionnaire, I determined that my greatest problem is pain in my neck and upper back. It is constant now and pain radiates down my right arm and leg on a regular basis. They scanned my neck with a device and found that my nerves were not responding properly. In fact, the whole right side of my neck has a 60% loss. For $20, I could come in for a consultation and two appointments, receive full x-rays and full use of all their equipment to determine the source of my pain. Six months ago, I would have balked. That day, I whipped my checkbook out and set up my appointment.

I went to the appointment tonight. I was disappointed that it is 45 minutes away in Frisco, but it was well worth the drive. Everyone is so friendly and there are Christian materials and scripture plaques in the main room. I met with a tech at first, answering questions, and having a preliminary test of my upper vertebrae. When we finished, she said "Hmm. I know Dr. Josh can help you." The look on her face told me that I was not such an easy patient. I asked if it was that bad. She said "We've had worse patients." Yikes. Then I met with Dr. Josh. After some more questions, he asked if I could come in for my first appointment tomorrow morning. Yes, folks, apparently I have issues. Neurological issues. Something is up with my spine and messages aren't getting through. (That's not technical terminology, by the way.) I had a full set of x-rays and I will meet with him tomorrow night at 5:00 to go over the x-rays, have my first correction, and start talking about changes I can make at home. Like get more sleep!

So I'll keep you posted on what's going on with my inner workings. We all knew I had issues, now a doctor has confirmed it. LOL

September 2009 (26 photos), by Julie Smith

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Spring Fling

It was a tough night. I'll be honest. I really didn't want to play or even talk with the kids tonight. It was one of my "no one really appreciates me" nights. I have to remind myself that I have three kids under the age of five sometimes. Someday they will say thank you for all the stuff I do for them, right?

So I will admit that after the kids went to bed, I dressed up in the bridesmaid dress from my sissy's wedding, fixed my hair, and added my rhinestone jewelry and even the tiara. Just to feel like a queen for a moment. I may sound like a basket case, but it cheered me up. Okay, I miss my stage days from time to time and the actress in me has to seep out somehow.

So after a slightly weepy conversation with Chad, he said I needed to plan a girl's trip for the spring. It was like the heavens opened up and the sun radiated from me. So I am giddy now and seeking out girlfriends of any age to go on a short cruise or visit an all-inclusive resort in the spring. Did I mention that I am giddy? LOL

Rain and Computers

Wow, we got a ton of rain this week! Water has been running over the spillway for at least a few hours already and the rain is still coming down. I am so thankful we never changed the topography over there or who knows where all that water would have gone!

On a sad note, my computer monitor finally pooped out. I am currently "borrowing" Chad's new amazing monitor to update some stuff this morning. It looks like I will be using a ginormous old friend from the attic until we spy a good deal around the holidays. At least I have a beautiful new desk to set it on!

I Have a New Title

As many of you know, Hannah is a pretty bright child. She likes to figure out how things work and learns very quickly. Wednesday night she learned that electronics do not get a bath.

We were preparing to leave for church and Chad went upstairs to prod the kids on. He came down carrying a wet Leapster. Apparently, Hannah's Leapster was "dirty" and she was "washing" it in the sink when Chad entered the scene. Needless to say, it didn't turn on. Later that night, it still didn't turn on. Yesterday, it still didn't turn on.

As I fumed about a $50 toy that was possibly ruined, I pondered some possibilities of how to get this toy to work again. In my 4 plus years as a mom, I have disassembled a plethora of toys, called Customer Service for assistance, perused the Internet for toy designs, and been the toy companies' worst nightmare. I am the parent they don't want to hear from. I am the one who refuses to just throw out a toy and buy a new one. I do everything possible to get it to work again, including taking a toy down to it's basics. Only after I have exhausted everything will I mournfully send a toy on to its demise.

So I took a deep breath and took the Leapster apart. Water dripped out of it so I thought maybe the connectors on the board were still damp. I left it out for 24 hours to dry. So I am patting myself on the back right now because I actually got the thing reassembled and it works! Can I add Toy Repair Expert to my resume?

It's an Ice Cream Night

I don't really know how it happens. It just sort of builds up. Suddenly I reach my limit with the kids and I find myself eating four scoops of chocolate chip ice cream. You heard me correctly. Four scoops. Plus chocolate syrup. Plus sprinkles. Yeah, it was just one of those nights.