A New Chapter-To Homeschool Or Not To Homeschool......

This is a question I have asked myself for quite a while now. And the answer is YES...To Homeschool!

I know I have been absent from the blogging world for quite a while now, but with the decision to homeschool, I feel it would be useful to return, to get support and to track our progress with this and lend a hand to any other new homeschoolers or anyone out there considering it.

We have decided, with much thought and prayer, that we will homeschool our youngest children. We started Pre-K at home this year with Ava (4). This was supposed to be our trial period, to see if this would work for us, but as months have passed, I feel our eyes have been opened to so many things. It is no longer a trial. The decision has been made that this is what we both want for our children and we are excited and looking forward to all of it!

My husband and I have had many discussions this past year on this topic.  Why? Well, for many reasons, that I may talk about later. My baby girl is now 4 and I was trying to deal with the emotions of having to send her off to school soon. Am I homeschooling her because I don't want to be away from her? No. I will admit that this has helped drive me to this decision, though.
Ultimately, it is because I am responsible for my kids and who they become. I can't send them off to school and expect my kids to learn what I would want them to learn. Sure they would be taught to read and write and many other things important, but...they would most definitely also be taught so many things that I do NOT want them to learn. I'm sure you know what I mean.

I know many people see learning about the 'real' world as important to their social skills, but I do not. I do not think that they need to witness (especially at such an early age) the cruelty of the world, in order to survive. These are things they will learn eventually, I would just like to help mold them into good, thoughtful, well rounded people first, to ensure that the 'real' world doesn't play too much a part in who they become.

You may be asking...But don't they need to learn how to deal with bullying and such things, because they will have to once they are grown? No. I heard a homeschooling mom answer this question with the response....As adults, we have a choice. We do not HAVE to surround ourselves with people we don't like. We do not HAVE to put up with a mean boss or mean co-workers. And why on earth would we want our children to be taught that they must put up with such things. We DO have a choice, and that's what I want to teach my kids.

To move on....My husband and I are very happy with this decision. We have decided not to homeschool our oldest daughter for other reasons we have. Although, that could change in the future, we''ll see. But that's what is best for our family, and what's great...is that it's our choice! We are doing what we believe to be best for our family, and we couldn't be more excited.

We both find ourselves getting so excited about teaching the kids different things and watching them learn. The possibilities with homeschooling are endless and it's so exciting!

So now I am on to a whole new chapter of my life!










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Fast Food Funny!

Hey there everyone, I'm BACK! For today at least.

I've been super super busy, AND I have a confession to make. Yes we did it. We caved. We got home super late one night and bought some fast food to eat for supper...UGH!!!

BUT......I have a funny story because of it and wanted to share it.

If you didn't read my former post about Eating Out, well we have had decided to NOT eat out so we can save money and that just seemed like the easiest thing to cut out. Well that was until.....the other night.

Just to get you up to speed with what we do at our house......we hardly EVER run through a drive thru for food, so our kids are not accustom to this type of thing. And now on to my story.........

So I had been gone almost all night working with my sister (which I also NEVER do, but I was helping her paint her house) and got home uber late, so we picked up some food through the dreaded Drive-Thru.

My husband handed everyone their food and when he handed Ava's food to her(my 2yr, old) she exclaimed "THANK you Daddy!" and then turned to me and said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Momma!!" LOL!!!!!

She had us rolling! The fact that we were eating fast food (to her) had to mean it was someone's birthday! :)

That's a good thing, right?! ;) Haha!


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Heartache

It's been a hard couple of weeks for me. I haven't wanted to blog about it because it's very personal. I know I've shared some personal things of my own on here, but the recent events aren't just personal for me, they involve others. People close to me. Dear to me. People that I would lay down my life for, close to me. My heart is hurting right now.  I guess I'm blogging to get it off my chest. Being vague isn't interesting to most, but I'm doing this for me, not anyone else.

I'm in a very happy marriage. Yes we fight. Yes we get annoyed with each other, but we are still NICE to each other and LOVE each other and RESPECT each other. That's normal, though, right? Well, that's what I say most of the time. I realize that this is not 'normal' for everyone, though. It's my normal. What is normal for most?

For most, I would say 'normal' is what you allow yourself to be comfortable with. From the outside looking in, it's easy to point fingers and say what's 'right' or what's 'normal'. But does anyone really have it all figured out? Of coarse, I like to think I do because I am happy.... with my life... with my marriage. 

Perhaps, I have no room to talk because I haven't ever experienced the horror other's have in relationships. Maybe this is for a reason. Maybe I know how to stray when I see something bad. Maybe I know what I'm talking about because I haven't experienced those things. Maybe not.

I will however never be able to understand the trap that people fall into. The horror they allow in their lives (and YES, I mean allow) and believe somewhere inside of them, that this is acceptable. It's not THAT bad. It hurts , but yet maybe I deserved it. Maybe I shouldn't have said what I said. Maybe God will change them. God doesn't approve of divorce. Maybe he wants me to learn something from this horror. Maybe God is using me to change them. I should stick it out. For them. Blah, Blah, Blah.

I don't get it. I never will. It frustrates me. There are certain vows you take when you get married. BOTH of you. One of you doesn't  honor those vows. I'm pretty sure God will understand if you decide to leave it behind and NOT stick it out. Also pretty sure that God doesn't live in a 'chapel' in Vegas. I'm just sayin. I think he has bigger plans for you. Why can't you see this? Why do you live to torment yourself?

Nevermind my heartache for you. Nevermind my worrying (although it never stops) What about you? You really believe that God wants to put you through this? No. He wants to heal you. He wants happiness for you. Since when do you NOT deserve this?

I've never felt so much anger in my life. Anger towards him. For making you believe these lies (even though you know better) For controling your mind like this. Your thought process. Why are you so afraid? And yet not afraid of him?

I don't understand, I know. I haven't lived this, so I can't talk. I know I would have left long ago. Yes, really. Even now, with all the ties I have. I would leave. Because I know God wouldn't want this even for a second. I'm not that forgiving. God can forgive him now, you can do it later.

I love you and can see such a bright future for you. It hurts so much to watch you in the middle of this. That's why I did what I did. Maybe it wasn't my place. Maybe you won't forgive me. I think I can live with that. Knowing you can start over. Be happy. That's what we all want for you. I know you didn't ask me to do it, but it needed to be done. If it were me, you would have done it. You would have done worse. Pulled me out by my hair. Because you love me.

Stop believing the lies, please! This is not the work of God. I know God can change people. I've seen it happen. It takes longer than a week. God doesn't intend for you to get hurt in the process. If the process has even really taken place. Of coarse he's going to tell you these things. Tell you what you want to hear. He's afraid right now. Afraid he's loosing you. Afraid he's not really in control anymore. Let him know he's not. Don't give in to all the bull!!! That's all it is. I know you think you know him. You know when he really 'means' it. But this is the time for him to lay it on thick. Don't you understand that? Let it go. Let him go. Let God be in control now. I love you.


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RE-POST - You Didn't Have Your Baby in a Hospital!?! No Drugs!!!

These are the shocked responses that I get when I tell people that I had my babies in a Birthing Center... with no drugs... and Not in a Hospital. If you've heard of people having their babies at home, well a birthing center is similar. They are usually in a home like setting, in an old house, equipped with everything they would need to deliver a baby safely.



My mom had 3 of her 4 children at home, so the idea of having my babies in a birthing center was not so strange to me. It felt natural to me. When I was pregnant with my first child and I was supposed to find a Dr. or Midwife, I had never heard of Birthing Centers. I knew of people having their babies either at home or in a Hospital. A childhood friend of mine referred me to Inanna, a Birthing Center, where she had delivered her 2nd child and had nothing but good things to say about her experience, so I knew immediately that's what I wanted to do.


I was actually surprised by the number of people that use centers like this, mainly because so many people I talk to have never heard of a birthing center or would even consider this as an option. This is the reason behind me wanting to share a little bit about it and my experience. My first and second experience laboring at the birthing center were completely different, but both were amazing and memorable and I couldn't imagine doing it any other way.


Laboring at the birth center the first time, laboring and everything was a new experience for me. They encouraged me to walk around, to eat, to drink, to do anything that felt comfortable to me. Hospitals don't usually allow laboring woman to eat, and usually they don't allow you to walk around. In my opinion, being able to move around helps a great deal in getting you through the laboring process. My husband and I spent many hours there walking around inside the bedroom and outside on the porch, sitting down to rest in the porch swing when I felt like I needed a change. The midwife was in the other room and would come in and check on me periodically. When it got closer to time to deliver, she stayed in the room monitoring the baby's heartbeat every few min, while she still allowed me to move around. I sat in the bath for a little bit to ease some of the pain and once I was out of the bath everything had progressed. The pain had increased greatly and I was offered a mild pain medication that would not harm the baby. It was my first pregnancy, so I figured if they were offering, I should probably accept. Two hours later my baby arrived and I was able to hold her in my arms without anyone trying to take her away. No epidural to potentially harm my spinal cord, no harsh drugs to affect my baby and we we arrived home with our baby just 5hrs. after she was born!


My second experience was a little different. After going in for my regular checkup and telling my Dr. that my water was leaking, she told me to stick around because I was in labor. At this point, I was in no pain, so my husband and I went and ate supper and returned to the birthing center. I was not having contractions, so my midwife suggested that we walk at the park across the street to start contractions, and Voila! About 30 min. later I was having contractions. Not little ones, but full blown contractions. I barely had time to blink between these very painful contractions. Slowly I moved my way across to the bath because the midwife suggested that it was time since, this time, I wanted to have a water birth. I couldn't believe that it was really time to push already...I hadn't been there but a couple of hours. Even though I didn't believe it was time...it was. My baby boy arrived very quickly with NO drugs and we were home within just a few hours!


I certainly can't give too many pros and cons of a Hospital Birth as I haven't experienced one, but I do know that when you have your baby in an atmosphere like the Birthing Center, your baby is there with you the whole time. The baby is never taken out of your sight. The midwives do everything they need to do right there with you in the same room. The midwives are there from the very beginning for you and that's who will be with you when your baby arrives. You don't see a million different people come in and out to have you fill out various paper work. It is a calm atmosphere with people around you that you know and love. You and your baby are cared for by people who really do LOVE what they do.


"It is my belief that women's bodies were designed by God to give birth; Therefore, pregnancy, birth and much of women's health care can proceed with little intervention, in most cases."
Jean Sala, MSN, CNM
(A quote from my midwife)


Many woman have a hard time comprehending labor without pain medicine, and I think this is sad. Society has made woman believe that having a baby has to be treated like a medical problem, not like the beautiful experience that it is. God created a woman's body to be able to bear children and it is possible to have a baby without medical intervention. Woman are capable of so much more than they believe. I wish that every woman could experience birth in such a beautiful way.




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