A Few Things I Have Learned This Month

As many of you know, I have been participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge this month. It has been an experience, that's for sure.

The Ultimate Blog Challenge was simply a call for bloggers everywhere who wanted to increase their traffic, who wanted to push their creativity, who wanted something more. We were asked to post 31 times during the month of July and then share these posts in certain places. We were also asked to comment on other people's blog posts everyday.

Let me share a few things that I have taken away with me from this challenge.

1. I don't like the demands of having to write everyday. I'm a pretty laid back person & over the past few years, I have had the privilege of not having to be on anyone else's schedule. I've learned that I don't like the pressure of set in stone schedules anymore.

2. Not everyone plays by the rules. No matter what you do in life, there will be those who buck the system, & want to do things their own way. (This coming from the former public school employee turned homeschool advocate! LOL)

3. Not every person who writes has something interesting to say.

4. Not every blogger out there will appeal to everyone who stumbles across their page. I've read some interesting things this month, but some of them didn't pertain to me at all.

5. Not every challenge issued is worth pursuing. I'm not saying that this one wasn't, but some people jump on any train that happens to travel by them.

6. Temporary increase is good but does it have staying power? Sure, my comment box has been flooded this month, but how many of those people are going to stick around now that July is over?

7. Even though we were sent daily reminders & tips on what to post, no one can tell me what to write about. I write from my heart. My husband compares it to his preaching. A lot of what I write about is strictly inspiration from God, the remainder is just the insanity of my life.

8. I will probably never reach blogger stardom. If I can just really reach out to those few loyal readers, I am completely ok with that.

9. Sometimes life is boring & I have nothing to say.

10. Whether or not I will try out the next UBC, only time will tell. Yeah, I probably will, but I'll do it with all of these other things in mind.

My sole reason for starting this blog a few years ago was so that hopefully I could encourage other people struggling through certain aspects of their lives. I want to glorify God in all aspects of my life. Am I doing that? Have I made someone's day a little brighter? Have I shown others they are not alone in their journeys?

I hope so, or else I am wasting mine & many other people's precious time.

3 Generations of Heroes

My husband is one of my heroes. Not only because of what he does Every. Single. Day. for our family, but literally because he is a hero.

Justin joined his local volunteer fire department as a Junior Fireman when he was only 13 years old. Of course, he couldn't help out much until he turned 18, but those beginning years provided valuable training, taught him about teamwork, and instilled in him a love for helping others. I believe this was one of the contributing factors to leading him down the road towards becoming an EMT. He has had an active role in the fire department ever since.

It wasn't long after Justin joined, that his father saw the benefits from this organization. This encouraged Tony to sign up as well.

Justin's mom has always played an active role in helping the fire department anyway she could, but it wasn't until a few years ago that she officially became a fireman woman. Other members of our family are also volunteers out there, including cousins, my brother in law, my niece, and many friends that we consider family.

Austin has always loved going to training, running calls, & just hanging out at the fire station with anyone who would let him tag along. I knew the day was fast approaching when he would join their ranks.

Sure enough, his daddy finally gave in & let Austin turn in his application to become a Junior Fireman. He is beyond excited!

I'm happy for him. But, that sure gives me something else to worry about!

So, here's saying a prayer for all of our men, women, boys, & girls who are our heroes today & dream of being our heroes in the future.

Starting Her Out Right

She finally did it! Makenzie finally agreed to try to ride a dirt bike.

We started Austin out at 5 on a little 4 wheeler. It didn't take him long to flip it, get scared, and not want to get back on it. We struggled with trying to get him to ride it again. After a year of trying, we gave up & traded the 4 wheeler for a dirt bike. He hasn't looked back since!

We have been hanging on to his first dirt bike. Its just a little 50, all of the plastic has been jerked off, its beat up, but it runs great. We couldn't get much out of it if we were to try & sell it. And its perfect for everyone else to learn how to ride.

Makenzie is 7. She loves her bicycle, driving her go cart, and riding the 4 wheeler & dirt bike with someone else driving. But, she has no interest in learning to ride by herself.

We finally talked her into it. She actually did very well too!

Did you SEE how close she came to hitting my porch?!

Hopefully, she will get back on it. Now, I just hope its that easy for me to learn!

Celebrating a First & Cherishing a Last

I told you yesterday all about finding a toddler bed at the TTB Kidz consignment sale. Well, believe it or not, I had the crib broke down & the new bed in place before lunch yesterday. Yep, little ole me, with lots of help from Makenzie & Logan of course.

Logan was very excited about his new bed. He crawled all over it. He laid down in it. He seemed to like it. But I worried about him actually sleeping in it.

I remember when we switched Austin to his big boy bed. He kept getting up over & over again for days. The only way I could get him to actually stay in it was to sit with him until he fell asleep. Then he would still come to my bed in the middle of the night. That was a long time in our lives. Although I still smile when I think about waking up to find him in bed with me or curled on his cot beside our bed.

Makenzie wasn't a big deal. She has always wanted to be in her bed. So when we switched her, she went to sleep. She still woke up almost every night. But after a potty break, she went right back to bed.

As nap time crept closer, I waited with silent apprehension. I waited, then I waited some more. I waited until Logan's little head was falling over. As I took him to his room, he said "no bed", and promptly went to sleep.

Hmmm....can bedtime be this easy?

Yet again, I waited until past Logan's bedtime before even attempting it. After all the kisses & good night rituals, I laid him down, tucked him in, walked out, & turned out the light. He was immediately at the door screaming. I knew it was too good to be true.

So, I put him back in bed & sat down with him. I talked, I rubbed his back, I sang, I pleaded for over 20 minutes. He kept saying "night night", hollaring "oh toodles", or some other jibberish. I finally told him good night one last time & walked out, closing the door behind me. He fussed for a few minutes from his bed, but went on to sleep.

I almost woke him up when I went in to check on him a few hours later because I just had to take a picture! Unfortunately, I wasn't smart enough to take a pic of him sleeping in his crib for the last time :(

I read an article several years ago about celebrating all the lasts. This is so true. We are always excited when a first happens, but we don't realize the significance of those lasts.

Time passes far too quickly! Take a few minutes to enjoy it, just in case its the last time.

Trash To Treasure

I love love love finding good deals.

I shop yard sales, consignment stores, & the Goodwill. I shop regular stores too, but rarely buy something if it isn't on sale.

As I mentioned earlier this month, I have been working on tagging 200 items for an TTB Kidz upcoming consignment sale in Charlotte, NC. I have shopped this sale numerous times in the past, but have never attempted to sell my own items. Turns out, there's a lot of work in getting ready for a sale.

I honestly hadn't planned on shopping the sale this year. Charlotte is over an hour away for me. Taking the clothes down and then picking up whatever is left was already creating 2 trips and more gas than I want to think about.

BUT, as I said, I LOVE sells! I also realized that I no longer had an option to put off buying Logan a big boy bed. *side note {One day as I was getting Logan up from his nap, he started handing me his papi (pacifier), blankets, & every stuffed animal in the crib. I laughed at him, telling him my arms for full so I couldn't get him. I asked him how he was going to get out. He proceeded to push up on the side rail and throw his leg completely over it. Ok, dully noted buddy. Its time for a new bed!}

So, off I took, in my gas guzzling Suburban in search of a bed, a new (to me) car seat because I'm tired of switching it back & forth constantly, and very few clothes.

After bumper to bumper, stop & go traffic, we finally made it to Charlotte. And where did I head first? Yep, straight to the beds. I found a white Graco metal bed with plastic side rails for $25. I personally think that was well worth the trip. (I'll tell you more about that later.)

I also found a Graco car seat for $20. The cheapest one I have previously found was $40, so of course, I bought it! The Abercrombie  hoodie for $3, the $10 Christmas dress valued at over $50, several other pieces were just icing on the cake.

And just what kind of homeschooler would I be if I didn't wander through the book section? When I saw a book that we would need for school this year that has been discontinued, I grabbed it in a heartbeat.

I was almost ready to leave when my eyes spotted The Princess & The Pea. It was an old copy & looked just like the one I had as a child. I smiled as I picked it up. My husband always refers to me as the Princess & the pea because if there is anything in my bed, I can't stand it. I will find even the smallest crumb. So, yes, we now own this copy of this children's classic.

A New Prince

I admit it.

I'm just as excited as the rest of the world with the birth of this tiny little boy. Well, maybe not quite as excited as the royal family, but I am fascinated. I couldn't help but smile as the news traveled far and wide of the blessed event.

I think the world has fallen immediately in love. I believe this is partly due to the fact that William & Kate both seem very real. I applaud Kate for embracing her role as a mother. William has reminded men everywhere of the importance of being a supportive part of childbirth. I love the fact that Kate is not ashamed of the body that brought forth the biggest change in her life.

Even with all the media coverage, with all the public interest, with all the royalty, we must still remember that this baby is still just a baby. This new mom & dad are still just mom & dad.

Just like all parents, I'm sure that William & Kate think their son is the most beautiful bit they have ever laid eyes on! I'm sure that they struggled with choosing the right name. I'm sure they planned & prepared to make the nursery just the right haven for their family. I'm sure they worried over everything that didn't seem normal during pregnancy & labor. I'm sure they were nervous wrecks when they realized that the doctors actually let them take this little miracle home even though they were clueless.

Even though I don't personally like the name George, I am thrilled that they actually picked a normal sounding name instead of some inanimate object like most celebrities today.

So here's to His Royal Highness Prince George!


And....a little royal humor....

A New Discovery

I am exhausted!

I'm still tired even though it's the next day!

It's been a while since I have been this bone tired.

I took the kids to The Discovery Place in Charlotte yesterday. Have you ever been? Oh you NEED to go!! This was our first time & I was overwhelmed!

By looking at the map of the museum, it honestly doesn't look that big. BUT, once you get there, the fun just keeps going & going & going (especially the 2nd floor)!

They have a special room for kids under 7 to play, explore, & run around. It took Logan all of 2 minutes once we entered this area to become soaking wet while playing in the water area. OOPS, I didn't anticipate that. Oh well, it didn't seem to bother him.

There were many different areas where the kids could learn about all sorts of animals, from fish to birds to frogs. We dissected owl pellets, tried to balance eggs like a penguin, & examined molted parts of a tarantula under a microscope. They even got to touch horseshoe crabs, starfish, & a snake.

They made creations out of duct tape. laid on a bed of nails, propelled themselves into the air with a rocket chair, & tried to lift their body weight through a series of pulleys. We balanced balls on columns of air, sent shredded paper into a vacuum & flying into the air, & played tug of war.

They learned how to build shelters & why it is necessary. We built, knocked down, & rebuilt various structures out of blocks. We played trivia games & tried to figure out where in the world they were just from a picture. They learned that germs are everywhere.

They played in a submarine, found out which bugs were the slimiest, learned just how gross flies really are. We tried to save frogs from certain doom, fought bug against bug in order to have bragging rights, & saw the inside workings of a cow's numerous stomachs. They matched animals to their piles of poop & were completely surprised by how long tape worms really are.

We watched a turtle's trip to paradise & saw lions in Africa up close & personal. We watched fire change colors.

Can you tell we all had a great time?!

The best part about it, they were learning without realizing it!

We could easily spend a whole week trying to learn and investigate everything The Discovery Place had to offer. I think I'll make my hubby go next time too.