catching up

Well, I have been terrible at this...but I am sure with my schedule it is understandable. I have been busy with homeschool, and the usual. It has been the usual craziness around here. Everyday is a race against time to see if I can complete the required and essential subjects that I need to do every day. The babies are a challenge right now because it is difficult to do school if they are awake. Now, they are trying to get down to only one nap a day. I am not ready for that, and they are not ready either. I am trying to do an every other day routine with them to help them to transition. We are getting ready for Halloween and have already gone through all the hassle of deciding on what each child wants to be. Luckily they got a Marine uniform for Christmas last year (the boys), so that was a fairly easy pick. Mikayla loves to dance, so she is going to be a ballerina. I was tempted to go buy them cute costumes, but when I saw the price of $30-$40, I decided against it. I realized that Halloween has gotten way to commercial and I want my kids to get back to the basics. Make a costume, put something together and use your imagination. It's easy to go and buy some pretty, name brand, expensive costume and look like you walked out of a Pottery Barn photo shoot...if you have the money...but using your imagination to come up with something is much more productive and imaginative. Now, we are facing the dilemma of what to get the kids for Christmas. Over the years we have learned our lesson. First child, first year, you go crazy, buy everything you can afford and sometimes can't afford, because it's fun. Then you realize over the years how the toys can pile up, and overwhelm you. So, now 5 children later, we have come to the conclusion that more is not better. We now buy a big gift for all the kids (one year a trampoline), and a few for each individual and set a budget. Last year Mikayla got an American Girl Doll and some accessories, the boys got a drum set, and a ride on horse...and they have pretty much lasted. I really like to stick with classic wood toys because they last, and they are non-toxic. This year I am thinking about a big wood kitchen and then accessories for each child. I know they will all enjoy it and the babies will also grow into it and it will get lots of use. We are going to order pretty soon so we don't have all the expense at one time. Well that catches me up for now...I hope to post more soon. I am in the process of getting a summary of my homeschool routine up, so check back in the next couple of weeks.

Birthdays and Seasons

It's a busy time around our house, it's the start of the holiday season for us. It used to be that the start of the holiday season was Cesar's birthday, but last year our twins came one day before that. Cesar's birthday is first, then 5 days later is mine, but last year we both got a special gift, one for him and one for me. We know from now on, our birthdays will be the shadow of our twin's big day.

So, this year was the start of a tradition. I am very particular about how I do things. I like to make everybody their own special cake, and it must be homemade. Usually Cesar makes mine with the kids, but this year I will be making my own! (My 7 year old decided to plan a "surprise" party for me...and she needs a cake. She conned me into making a cake though I am not supposed to know why) So, I struggled with the idea of what to make for the babies first birthday, as it will be the tradition for the rest of their lives...big decision! I decided to make two separate cakes, one was a lemon cake with lemon butter icing, and the other a white cake with vanilla butter icing. I had a little party for them, which turned out to be bigger than I intended. I don't usually do a party for our 1 year olds, except a little cake and just the family. I really felt like this was a milestone for myself, and I wanted to have the people that helped me through it to be a part of it. I have had to learn to accept help now with the extra big load that I have on my shoulders. It has been a great lesson for me to learn.

Homeschooling has been coming along very well. I am really excited about the things I am learning along with the kids. So many things you don't retain from your early school days, and I now have the opportunity to learn again. I found it to be an overwhelming task, and at one point thought I could not do it and began to go through the steps of enrolling the kids in the public school. But, thanks to a good friend she helped me to overcome the beginning steps and guide me to the start. Now I have taken it into my own agenda, and have thrown myself in 100%. It took me a couple of weeks of a transition period, finding the books I wanted, figuring out the routine and what would work. I hope to do a more detailed post on this subject, as I learn more about what works and what doesn't.

I love the Fall, and the events that are coming up very soon. I love the cool weather we have now in Virginia, and opening the windows for some fresh air. I never thought we would actually make it to this point, and get to the first birthday of the babies. But, here we are! This is an exciting time, and I am really enjoying them so much. I feel so lucky to have two babies, it is something I still can't get over sometimes. When I look at them, and I realize how special they are, and how lucky I am! The other kids are so loving toward them, and I am so glad that they haven't had any jealousy issues. The babies get soooo much attention when we go anywhere, and the other kids don't have a problem with it, they are happy for the babies and proud of them.

Well, I know this has been very eclectic, but that is my life! I love it!