got a car

We ended up getting a 2004 suburban. white. There are about 40 other white suburbans in my home town so I need something to make my car easily identifiable.

Here are some stickers I'm considering.

a buckeye family



or the good ol' ohio state o.

big decisions

Lately I have been kind of stressed about some big decisions. When I think about them all at once I feel like I just want to crawl in bed and hide. When tackled one at a time everything is manageable.

1. should I pull Clare out of PEPP? YES! This turned out to be a good choice. I have loved not having to take her to and from school. She loves being home and her preschool with all the cute girls.

2. What should we name our baby? Dave is done with baby girl names. This might be an okay thing if we weren't having another baby girl in 10 weeks. He has been getting lots of suggestions from all members of the family but seems to hate all names suggested. I am guessing baby girl will be getting a name no sooner than the day we are discharged from the hospital.

3. Should we buy a new car? We have been thinking about this for about a year. My car is 17 years old now and as we will have a family of 6 soon and cannot all fit into Dave's reliable car, we decided we should get more serious about shopping soon. This necessity intensified this week when my car DIED. So, now the answer is YES!

4. What kind of car should we buy? How much $ should we spend? Big decisions. We have decided we are too big (and growing) to downsize significantly in car space and a few MPG isn't enough to give up our suburban. So we're most likely getting a car about 10 years newer than the one we have. Dave really loved this one but even though I am used to driving a very recognizable beater I don't think I could handle this one.



I also got a kick out one I saw posted with bullet proof windows. who needs that? And who would ever be crazy enough to drive a car they bought from someone who needs bullet proof glass?


5. What should I do with the kids next year for school? Should I put Clare in K or keep her home? Should I put Calvin into 3rd grade or keep him home or find another school for him? This is a work in progress.....

It is really two separate and different questions. 1. What is best for Clare? 2. What is best for Calvin? I is possible that I'd decide to do the same thing with them to be more convenient for me, etc. but really they are such different situations they will be considered as separate issues. I have learned a lot about home schooling in the last few months both from experience, watching others and reading a ton. I think home schooling is great; maybe not for everyone, but for those who make it work it is ideal. That is why I'd have to consider keeping everyone home!

Since will have a new born baby and desire to maintain a shred of sanity it may not be "ideal" for me to home school at this time! In this case, each kid needs to be considered separately. I think Clare will like K so she will most likely go to school. The question with Calvin is a little different. Can Calvin succeed and survive in school? We just finished all of his testing and meetings at school and have set up a schedule for next year which will allow for more flexibility for him. It is certainly much better than the situation he found himself in for this year. It is worth considering!

PS. Dave is getting me a new camera for mother's day so we will have pics of kiddos up soon!

PPS. Clare got gum in her hair today. Peanut butter got it out!

ready or not, here she comes

So, for a long time (a couple of years) Dave and I had been discussing the possibility of having another baby. First Dave said let's go for it in lex was just over a year old. I wasn't ready. Then I was ready and dave wasn't. Then neither one of us was ready and then, once again I was ready again and wanting to hurry so I could have a spring baby, but Dave wasn't on board. So it went round and round for a while. Finally, last fall Dave and I independently came to the conclusion that it would be best to wait another year before having another baby and we were kind of relieved to find that we had finally reached an agreement and both felt really good about it.

I embraced the idea of having another year with no baby and no pregnancy to slow me down. I worked really hard to get back into shape and was loving my routine of walking every day w/ friends, the dog and lex in my bob stroller! I signed up to teach chorus at school, volunteered to be a room mom in calvin's class knowing that this year was my year to do it all since I wouldn't be pregnant or with a baby!

So glad I went to Columbus in October to enjoy that little get away!

November 11th. Veteran's Day. Since Dave was working at the VA at that time, he actually had this day off. He was home working on papers (as he always is when he is home) and I was cleaning house. I gagged as I cleaned a bathroom and almost barfed changing a diaper. Though neither of these activities are my particular favorites, it was highly unusual to have such a reaction! A moment's thought and I realized that there was a real possibility that I was pregnant. I happened to have a pregnancy test stashed away and took it on the spot. It immediately came up positive.

picture take 11/11/10 at 10:49am

Since Dave was home I showed him right away. He was pretty surprised and wanted to read the instructions on the test to be sure I was interpreting it correctly. After a few minutes of contemplating the idea, he was ready to be on board. I have to say it took me another couple of weeks to really get used to the idea myself!

So, here we are....super excited about a baby coming in a few months!

Looking back this is probably a good way to add a 4th to our family. Life is just busier and more crazy and I'm not sure I would have EVER reached a point where I would feel ready for more insanity. As we approach the arrival of this little girl I sometimes think I am not going to be able to handle life with the fatigue and business of a newborn, but then I remember how wonderful new babies are and how much love they add to the home and have hope that this little one will be just the thing we all need right now.

pregnancy stats:
I have gained 20 lbs. (but feel like I've gained 40). I'm at the start of the 3rd trimester. I have varicose veins (1st time ever, YUCK). So far everything is going fine so I can't complain too much!

there is more to the story....so I'll continue another time!

fiction/non-fiction

One of the good things that I have gleaned from all of the homeschooling/how do children learn type books that I have been reading is how to enchance the reading experience. I have run across some suggestions on the types of books one should get at the library each visit. Usually I just pick a few stories, and let my kids pick a few and we call it good. The Well Trained Mind recommended making each child choose at least one from the following and then choosing as many more as they'd like. My kids are a little young for figuring this all out, so I've been trying to pick some of each category and getting them acquainted w/ the book types and then I will teach them how to find them on their own as they get old enough. Calvin is pretty much there, but just needs to be taught!

here are the book types recommended in The Well Trained Mind, pick one of each for each child/reading level:
science
history
art or music appreciation
practical (hobby or "how-to")
biography or autobiography
classic novel or one suited to appropriate age
imaginative storybook
poetry

I could have sworn that fairytale or fable was on this list, but it must have been in another book! My kids have loved fairytales. Our library has a section for fairy tales. Oh, now that I think about it, it must have been The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease that was recommending this genre! Anyway....

I was reading a fairy tale a few nights ago and told them that it was a fairytale and explaining that fairy tales are make believe stories sometimes with magic and other parts that are not real. Calvin said "fiction." Yes! Then he said something about Star Wars. I explained that Star Wars is not a fairytale it is ....and he filled in with "Non-fiction." I explained that star wars is actually science fiction and not real either, but Calvin insisted: STAR WARS IS REAL. I decided not to crush his childhood fantasies just yet so I left it alone. Talking to dave later he says he distinctly remembers when he realized Star Wars was not real and it was 3rd grade. What would it be like to think that we could travel at light speed, and that darth vader is REAL?!

you might be getting tired of hearing what the kids say....

but this is a good way to remember them. so sorry.

Calvin: "Mom, have you ever had a hard boiled egg?" Yes, Calvin why do you ask? "Oh, I found one today at the playground and it was really good." !!!! WHAT!!! YOU ATE IT?!!! CALVIN DO NOT EAT FOOD YOU FIND AT THE PLAYGROUND!!!! Yikes! He gets this from his father who once ate in-n-out out of the trash at the hospital.

Clare: "Mom, I was in the bathroom trying to go poo and it was very tight. It felt like I was pushing out a baby." (recently when she asked me what it feels like to have a baby I told her it was kind of like pushing out a big poo.)

Clare, telling me what I should write in the note to her teacher: "Dear Mrs. Poulin, I love you, but I am doing home school now." I actually helped her write "I love you. Thank you for being my teacher." Clare has been begging to do home school for a couple of months now. Recently we found out that her church friends (6 darling girls who are all entering K next year) do a preschool swap 2 days a week. She would much rather do that then her PEPP (Pre K class) at school in a class of 23 boys and 4 girls. So, I'm letting her pull out a little early. . She is super excited.

Dave: "Denise, I got you a new computer. You can use it anytime I don't need it." Thanks babe. This sort of reminded me of the time Homer got Marge a bowling ball with his name engraved on it.

Denise: "3 more weeks to go. I can make it." Speaking about teaching chorus at school. It is fun but a lot of work. I can't wait for it to be over.

Alexey: "Oh Mom, I know what we should name our baby! Sally!!" Love how my kids are always thinking of baby names. I am now thinking that we should have never told them we get to choose the name. I am worried we are going to have some disappointment when/if none of their suggestions are used.

more fun things the kids say

Alexey:
"Mom, why your belly button look so crazy?" (b/c there is a baby inside my tummy and it is getting bigger)

"Mom, why the baby getting so bigger?"

"Oh Mom, I know what we can name our baby. Sally." This is completely original, not sure where it came from, but I do love the nickname Sal.

"For real, Mom, for real."

Clare at 7:30am:
"Mom, I did all my jobs. I got dressed, brushed my teeth, made my bed and sang and article of faith." LOVE my clare. She sang an article of faith because one of the morning jobs is read scriptures.