2010! A New Year!

Well, I've been working through what this blog was REALLY going to be about. I've decided to bring it back to our expanding family. (Granted, if I hear about really great deals, I'll post them here too, but I'm going to close my cooking blog. I'm just going to keep adding new recipes here, if they pass the test with my family. 1 blog is enough.)

Anyways, my cousin Melissa started a blog about her journey into homeschooling, and it brought me back to wanting to keep up on this blog. I probably won't write everyday, but I'm going to try.

After reading Melissa's blog, I got really excited about "teaching" Felicity. I know, she's only 2.5, but I realized that the reason she is becoming so hyper during the day lately is because she needs some sort of "structure" in her day. So, I started to scour the internet for ideas. I'm not going to "force" her into learning, but thankfully, she is really interested in it.

I found this program (online and totally FREE!) called Letter of the Week. It's an online "intro to reading" program with "lessons" from birth to age 5! I'm so excited and plan on starting the Preparatory Curriculum on Monday. It's extremely kid friendly and I know she will love it!

The first week's theme is Cows. The woman who wrote the program links you to coloring/cut-out activities, vocabulary words, books about the theme, poems, songs and more. They also work on gross and fine motor skills, as well as shapes, numbers and colors. I've told Felicity that we're going to start "school" next week, and she is so excited! She talks daily about going to "work", so I'm hoping I can turn her "schooling" into her imaginary work.

As for the rest of us...I'm sure most of you have heard by now, but we are expecting again! This little peanut is due July 11th! We are so excited! We should be able to find out the gender in just over a month!

Little Westley is growing with leaps and bounds! He had his first haircut last week, and he looks so grown-up! I can't believe he is already 16 months! He has started using several words on a daily basis (before it was totally random), and finally after mastering "Butch", "ball", "cup", "cat", "dog", "car", and many others including "da-da", he finally said "ma-ma" last week and pointed to me. It definitely brought tears to my eyes! It's so wierd to think that he was once a tiny newborn!

As for Will, I could write a book! I am so blessed with this man! For Christmas, instead of buying gifts for each other, we purchased a dishwasher! (Yes, it sounds silly, but I've been hand-washing dishes for almost 5 years!) Now, when it was just the two of us, it didn't take very long, but now with 4 of us, and all the sippy cups and their filters (which have crevices that are almost impossible to reach), I asked for a dishwasher! So, a couple of days after Christmas, Will went and bought the dishwasher and brought it home. It sat in our back room for what seemed like eternity (really only 4 days). Every time I saw it, I just thought how Blessed I was to actually have a dishwasher, and washing the dishes by hand for those 4 days didn't matter at all! Then, the Sunday after Christmas, he installed it for me! I am always amazed at what he can do! It is THE most awesome thing to not have to stand on my feet for 45-50 minutes!

Will works so hard for our family and to keep me home with our babies. Like I said, I am extremely blessed!

As for me, I feel amazing! I love being pregnant, and can't wait to meet this little bundle! I have headaches once in a while, but I try to offer them up for others who are suffering or have a harder time than I do.

Well, I'm sorry this is like a book! I'm just so excited about our lives and this New Year! I promise, future posts will not be sooo long! For now, I'll see you soon!

Love and blessings,

Sarah