A New Adventure!

Hello family and friends,

Since we know so many people all over the U.S. and other countries, I figure this will be an easy way to keep everyone up to date on what we are doing then trying to fit in a lot of calls! With 4 kids and #5 on the way... time just seems to speed by on many days and before I know it, it is way to late to call anyone! So thus begins my first adventure into the technology realm of "blogging". Please don't expect perfection!!

My goal is to update this weekly. Unless, of course, something so funny happens that I can't resist telling everyone about it... which happens more times than not in this house! So here we go!

Right now we are experiencing "Adventures in Potty Training" or so I will call it. Sydney has decided that she is a big girl and can potty train on her own. (No way was I going to push anything this big going into the last month of my pregnancy!) We tried the "big girl" panties with the extra cushioning in the middle.... and that didn't work so well. We went through 4 pairs in an hour! So we went back to the Easy Ups. Much to her distaste, but with only one clean pair left... she had no choice left in the matter! She is also a little Ms. Independent. She has to pick out her own clothes and dress herself. And shoes.... OH MY! The child loves shoes. She doesn't care whose they are. If her feet fit in them, they are hers for the time being!

Xavier is developing an obssessive nature, or maybe just a really FOCUSED nature. He plays GameBoy with the older kids and gets so focused that he doesn't pay attention to when he needs to go potty! So we end up with a potty-trained, 3-yr. old that has such a massive accident in the bathroom that floors have to be mopped and mats washed! Not a pleasant thing to have to deal with when you know that they know what they are supposed to do!! So I mopped the floors a day early yesterday and the Gameboys have been put in exile for an undisclosed amount of time! He is such a smart little boy too. He knows his colors and can count and has some really good one-liners! He has entered the "why?" stage. You ask/tell him to do something and he wants to know why... ALL the time and SEVERAL times too!

Anna is growing and becoming more moody. Right now I can blame it on 5 yr. molars cutting through, BUT if this is how PMS will be with her... OH MY! I am NOT looking forward to that stage! She is such a good big sister. She amazes me with her reading. It just seems to come naturally to her. She really loves school and learning. Handwriting is her favorite, and I think that is because she has control over that. I don't have to instruct her or anything, she just does it on her own at her own pace. She is also very loving and trusting. The ladies at church just get such a kick out of her being in their room. They are always telling me how helpful she is and how she is good at anticipating someone's needs.

Jay is getting so big. His legs are so skinny and long! His body type reminds me of one of my brothers, but his personality is a good mix of his daddy and mommy! He doesn't know a stranger, and is quick to meet new friends at playgrounds and such. In fact, he likes to tell his new friends our phone number and address!! Yeah... as you can imagine, that is a lot of fun to load a kid yelling all of your information to the world! We have put them in the A.S.S.E.R.T. program to teach them about "Stranger Danger" and they still don't get it! His school is going so well. He will be in 1st grade technically, but doing 2nd grade math and phonics.

This year I plan to teach Jay and Anna at a much slower pace with more electives. We are going to be doing a four day week with the fifth day being for math tests and catch up, if needed. We are a part of our church's homeschool group and soccer should be starting in the next couple of weeks! It is amazing how fast our children are growing up.

As far as Jerry and I go... Jerry is finishing with his class graduation in NJ today and then heading home. He is only allowed to drive 6 hours a day, so that means he won't get home until tomorrow sometime. Then we are headed home to visit with family, attend a wedding, and have a fish fry! We won't be headed back to IN for awhile since we will have a new baby SOON, and he will be in line for surgery on his shoulder. I am doing well. I took over the finance position for our homeschool group. That has been interesting so far! I plan on starting school with the kids around September 15 so that I have enough adjusting time with the baby. We'll see how that all works out! I have it all planned out for a 36 week school and our "learning weeks" are the weeks of our birthdays and holidays, so it works out well.

In the fall we are blessed to have a family across the street that is homeschooling their son as well. So Jay will spend Tuesday mornings with them while I take the other 4 to Bible Study! They are doing the Beth Moore "Daniel" study. I am really excited! I have the book already, and hope the other kids will be as excited to go as me!

Well, the natives are getting restless, and laundry needs to be switched! Thus ends the first of what I hope is many updates for our family!

We hope to hear from you all and pray for each of you!