Hey There!

So, I thought I had hung my blogging hat, and wasn't going to do it anymore, but I had a change of heart. 

I have missed you guys!

We have been so busy since I last posted, which was all the way back in May, I believe. 

So much has happened since then.

We started the homeschooling journey in July, and what a journey it has been so far. The kids and I have learned a lot....whether it be school related, or about one another. 

Most days are great and we move right along, and then there are other days....yeeaahh...those other days are something else.

There are days when my children couldn't be any sweeter. They get their work done, they are kind to one another, they offer to do their chores without being asked, and I think to myself, this was the best decision EVER!

Then there are the "other" days when demon possession has riddled our home, and I am hunting the internet on how to perform an exorcism (not really, but I have come close a few times). Those days I really have to step back, breathe, and say a little prayer and remind myself that my precious babies are in there somewhere, and they are fighting a battle themselves.

They are learning what it means to take control of their emotions. Some days they are great at it, and other days, not so much.

But the same goes for me as well....some days I feel like I am very mature and wise in how I handle situations, and then there are times when I look back and think, "wow, you really screwed that one up. Better start setting money aside for therapy."

Thankfully the good days far outweigh the bad days.

  There are a ba-jillion homeschooling blogs out there right now, and I am going to be the ba-jillion + one homeschooling blog. I'll still talk decorating and crafts, but I am going to throw in a little school too.

I'll have links to websites I am using as well as the curriculum that we are going through.

I have a Homeschooling Pinterest Board and a Homeschool Crafts Pinterest Board that I pin to frequently...sometimes hourly.

If you are interested in those types of things, make sure to follow those boards.

Like I said earlier, we started school in mid-July. I wanted to get a head start on school because we were surprising the kids with a trip to Disney. 

I can't believe how much the kids have changed since summer...especially E.

 We had the most amazing time at Disney. By far the best family vacation we have been on. The kids were big enough to ride everything, and were real troopers, riding everything at least once. A few of the rides scared them, i.e. the Hollywood Tower of Terror, duh! 

Their most favorite ride was Splash Mountain. I lost count how many times they rode that one.

We went at a perfect time too. NO ONE was there! Don't believe me? Look at the picture below...no one else is in the picture but us.

Amazing!

 We planned the Disney trip to celebrate the Hubs 40th birthday and E's 8th birthday, so we didn't do any special parties. E did have a few friends over to play on his actual birthday, but it wasn't anything but cupcakes and hot dogs, and lots of running around shooting Nerf guns.

 We also survived another soccer season. S.R.'s team didn't win very many games, but it definitely served it's purpose for P.E.

E's team was awesome, and they kicked booty every single game, except for one. He had a great time, and got plenty of exercise.

 Basketball season has started now, so there hasn't been any break between seasons. But that's ok because they need the exercise.

I have tried to be aware of all important holidays and work them in the curriculum when I can. Here is one of the crafts they did along with a story book we read.

This particular craft came from a website I use often called Teachers Pay Teachers. It is an excellent resource for printables and for inspiration. There are a lot of free printables on there as well. 

Here is one of the kids' first art projects. They had a lot of fun with these, using straws to blow the hair on. S.R. decided that crazy hair wasn't pretty, so she smoothed hers out:-)

S.R. joined the American Heritage Girls.

 It's similar to Girl Scouts, but more service/Christian based.

She loves it and I love that she loves it. She got to march in the Veterans Day parade in November. 

 She also got to be the flower girl in this sweet bride's wedding.

 She had an amazing time.

On a side note, I finally took the time to set up my Etsy Shop. 

If you look on the right side bar, it will take you directly to my shop page. I will be adding to it as often as I can. 

It's definitely my way to decompress and do something for me.

We are having so much fun spending time together. I am getting to witness these two precious faces hit every new milestone. There has been lots of laughter, a few tears, but our family has become so much closer as a result of homeschooling. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us in the future.