Happy Mommy to B, E, & E

#winner #futurepro #firsttournament #tennis #GoElisa

Regarding homeschool, it’s been going….well….ok, I guess. I decided on using the Bob Jones english and math curriculum, Apologia for science, Easy Peasy website for history, Today Is The Day for our bible study, Charlotte Mason reading lists (with comprehension tests on BookAdventure.com), K12 reader spelling, and NatGeoEd.org for their geography lessons. At least that’s what we’ve used so far. Who knows, it may change as we go along. I really want to get this right. I debate on whether I’m making them do too much or even too little. I want homeschool to be fun for them, but it’s so hard when trying to get all of the subjects above completed. Throw a 2 yr old boy into the mix and it makes it even harder. I’m complaining, I know. And I’m sorry for that. I know I should be thankful for this opportunity. I’m working on it, I promise. Anyway, 5 days in and I haven’t locked myself in a closet and neither have the girls. The only bad thing so far is that I’ve forced my son to become a TV junkie. It’s the best distraction I can find for him (coloring, blocks, etc. don’t work). Any suggestions on what else I can try with our son? I’m beginning to think that a formal preschool may be best, but that seems to defeat the whole purpose of homeschooling to me. Frustrated and hoping the next week is better. No, it WILL be better…because I’ve said so…and what I say goes…(isn’t that how this parenting thing works?).

My husband registered us last night for next years Blue Angels Rock n Fly Half Marathon in Pensacola. I LOVED this race this year and am really looking forward to next years. If you're looking for a flat course, good temps, awesome music, and lots of sailors in itty bitty shorts, then this is the race for you!

I'm so very thankful and feeling so blessed right now. My night could have been so much worse... We went to a Mississippi Braves baseball game - same seats as always, 5 rows up from the dugout on the 3rd base line, just outside of the safety net. We were having a great time. The kids had gotten their faces painted, finished their dip n dots, and were just starting on their peanuts and cracker jacks. All of a sudden, I was kind of slumped over in my seat and had people standing around me. My husband was frantically calling my name. I vaguely remember a sweet lady saying she was a nurse and asking if I could breath. It all seemed so surreal. You see, I'd been talking to my daughter, not paying any attention to the game, when I was hit by a foul ball. Not one of those pop up fouls, but a real fast zinger one. The medics at the stadium were there within seconds. After confirming that I could breath, I remember standing up and the whole stadium erupted with clapping. I was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital to get x-rays. Luckily, I only have a major contusion, but no break on my clavicle, and no damage to my trachea or vascular damage. I'm now on my way home. I'm sure that I won't be feeling quite as good once the morphine wears off, but I've got some pain pills if needed and will be following up with my doctor on Monday. I'm so blessed. Not only could my injuries have been so much worse, but it could have been my kids or my husband sitting there. I typically don't sit in that particular seat, but thank you God for placing me there tonight instead of one of them.

It's beginning to look a lot like #Christmas

Waking up to find my husband had set the coffee pot to auto brew this morning. It's the little things. :)

So that’s it. That’s where I’m at. I’d greatly appreciate any advice or help that you may be able to offer. At the end of the day, I know that with God’s help, my wonderful husband’s support, and support from all those who’ve ‘been there, done that’, I’ll be A-OK!

and all I can think about is Fall and the holidays! Seriously! I was listening to Christmas music last night while making beer cheese soup. The only thing missing was a good college football game on tv...

B will turn 3 in September. My how time flies. I'll admit, I was upset when I first found out I was having a boy. I kept hoping they'd made a mistake and that was really just the umbilical cord. I'm awful, I know. You have to understand though, I had 2 girls who were incredibly easy when they were little. I had tons of frilly clothes and girly stuff. I mean, it was obvious that because of those things that God would bless me with another girl, right? (It's true, God really does have a sense of humor.) Instead, he blessed me with a boy who has endless energy, who's into everything, who has no volume control, who's extremely strong-willed, and who loves me unconditionally regardless of my many faults and failures. Even though he gets on my last nerve at least 20 times a day, I love him so much it hurts. I can't imagine what life would be like without my sweet handsome little fella. It makes me a little sad to see how fast he's growing up. In the past month and a half he's been potty trained, and now hops right up in the barber's chair for his haircut. No screaming, kicking, or mommy needed. Same thing at the dentist today. In the past he's thrown quite the fit, but not today. He let them clean his teeth and used his manners when talking to them. I'm so proud of him and everything that he's accomplishing. I'm just hoping that some part of him will always need his mommy. God sure knew what he was doing when he gave me a son...

Nothing like some Baskin Robbins after a day at the waterpark... #baskinrobbins #icecream #lovemykids

Our farmer's market finds...minus the apple butter, blueberry jam, and the strawberry lemonade (which is long gone). Looking forward to going back next week with a stroller and a bag...

Took the kids out for lunch, to Target, to the library, the farmer's market and then B for a haircut. I feel certain this qualifies me for a medal of some sort. How some mothers do these things everyday and still have all their hair (and their sanity) is beyond me...

A little pool time before the rain...

B, my 2 yr old, is currently honing his skills at using the potty, incessant talking, and doing the exact opposite of what I ask him to do. Only he could make a sport of these things…

I knocked out another 3 miles this morning. It was blah. Again, I have to have a goal or it seems so pointless to me. I do not consider running 'fun'. Sorry to all those diehard runners who do...I envy you. So, in the spirit of 'running sucks without a goal', I've narrowed down my marathon choices to 4. 1) Kiawah Island Marathon Pros: It's on Kiawah. Cons: It's in early Dec (and we know how crazy the holidays can get) and its a lot of back and forth running. 2) St. Jude's in Memphis Pros: It's for a GREAT cause!!! Cons: It's in early Dec. It was cancelled last year due to icy weather conditions - could there be a repeat? 3) Charleston Marathon Pros: I'm familiar with the course after running the half earlier this year. It's in Charleston, which is quite possibly the greatest city in America. It's in mid January, so no issues with 'holiday happening' schedule conflicts. It's also for a good cause. Cons: It's an 11 hr drive and there are no cheap flights. 4) Mississippi Blues Marathon Pros: It's close enough to where I wouldn't have to stay overnight (so no big travel expenses). It's in early January. The swag...the medal typically ranks in the top 10. Cons: It's in Jackson, MS. There's just nothing exciting about that. Hmmm, which to choose....

Sportin' daddy's sunglasses...upside down... :) #gulfislandswaterpark #funinthesun