Portraits

Every year for the kids' birthdays, we take pictures and commemorate how they look at that age. A lot of times we go to JCPenney or other studio, but this year I wanted to save money. We took the kids to our friend Kim's house. She and her husband Ken work so hard on their yard and their back yard is especially beautiful with all the plants, flowers and a wonderful pool. Here are the top picks for 4 years and 6 years:

I think we will redo Charlie's because he is squinting.

Anyway, here are some runners-up:

And a few with Baby Sister:

This last one, although too cute, was done with my camera on the wrong setting. UGH! Nothing is ever perfect in Kiddie Land, is it? To tell the truth the kids hated this portrait "sitting." It was sooooo hot, and the ground was hot, and the grass, of course, dirty. And all they wanted to do was go swimming, but I didn't think to bring their swimsuits. Yay, Mom! Anyway, all we needed was one good one for Madeline and one good one for Charlie, and we got that even though I may redo Charlie's. At least I didn't spend $70, right, Honey?

Caroline's Highlights

These are some of the things Caroline has been up to lately. She's held her head up while on her tummy, she's had her first swim (which she loved), and she is now four months old. At four months, she wieghed 15lbs. 8oz. and is 27 inches long. Her weight is in the 90th percentile and her length is above the 95th percentile! She is still sleeping through the night (Yay!), and loves playing with her thumb. Still no paci or bottle, but nursing like a champ! She is laughing more regularly now which is music to my ears! She is trying to roll over and is successful every once in a while. She still has Reflux and we keep increasing her meds to try to cut it out. Her throwing up is better, though still occurs, and the doctor wants her to go see a specialist about the shape of her head (flatness) just to make sure everything is ok. Please be praying about that with us and I will let you know when we go.

Madeline's 4th Birthday

Here are some pics of Madeline's birthday party. It was a Strawberry Shortcake party with a few of her friends. They decorated sun visors, dipped strawberries, had cake and ice-cream, and of course opened presents. The present shown is with her excitement at getting a Leapster of her own from Mimaw and Pop-Pop in Florida. And even baby sister was dressed for the occasion!

At Four Years Old:

• She still loves to cuddle with Mom
• She still climbs into our bed almost every night
• She loves to play with Charlie- anything from dolls to Superheroes
• She loves Barbies, Princesses, animals, and dolls
• She loves to make Caroline laugh and seeing her with her eyes open
• She doesn't like to be left behind or left out ("Mom, wait right there!")
• She is excited to buckle her own seatbelt in the van
• She is in Tumbling class
• She wants to be a cheerleader and a mermaid when she grows up
• What a Drama Queen!
• She is learning about lying and sharing
• She loves to role play and use different voices for different characters
• She loves to say her prayers ("Thank You for this world so sweet...")
• She is still my Little Lovebug!

For the Good Times

I was looking today for my old High School drill team's website, and came across this video. You have to watch it and see my drill team, the Friendswood Wranglerettes as they are now. National Champions, no less. This sight still can bring tears to my eyes and melt my heart. This team was the best thing that happened to me in all of high school and I'll never forget it. I miss it terribly even after all these years. I really hope to reincarnate some of it at our high school here in Nocona, which is unfortunate enough not to have a drill team!! Anyway, I had to share this with everone I can!

What I'm Reading

Well, I've added another item to my blog sidebar. I love to read. And I think you can tell a lot about a person by what they are reading. I love to look at my friend Sally's blog to see what she is reading. It tells me about her interests and the things she wants to learn more about. And also gives me ideas for things to read. Surprise, surprise, we read some of the same things, like Karen Kingsbury books. And maybe it will help some of you to see that I am thoroughly researching Home Schooling as I take on this new challenge. And if you like, you can research it, too. Join me in reading. And let me know what you read, as well!

Socialization in Homeschooling

I just read a post on a blog Dave sent me by a guy named Eric Carpenter. He is commenting on an article he read on an education site about homeschooled children not being "socialized." We have had a lot of questions directed at us about this very topic when told we are going to homeschool our kids. I love Eric's answer:

On the issue of "socialization," Mr. Arnold implies that homeschoolers are retreating from the world and churning out weird kids. Nothing could be further from the truth. The key is what "socialization" means. If my children have to be indoctrinated in secular humanism, self-esteem building, secular sex ed., evolution, and above all else, the importance of tolerating all lifestyles, then I don't want them to be "socialized." If to be socialized is to be exposed in the early teens to sex and drugs, I'll say "No thanks." However, if building proper social skills means being able to carry on an educated conversation with other children and adults in a polite and respectful manner, then I think homeschoolers are just fine.

How true this is! I could not have said it better. I am so sold on this idea that our kids are exposed to such horrible things so early in life when they shouldn't be. And I can tell that exposure is happening much earlier than it did when I was growing up. I am happy to get my kids out of the pressure to "be like everyone else," even if it is for a short while. We don't know what next year may bring, but we know that we can start now to help our kids become respectful, mature adults who put Christ first and at the center of all they do. And in the meantime, get a good, quality education that will prepare them for college and the real world.