Home Preschool

For the time being, our family has decided to "home preschool".

Granted, our child is one.

But since Levi doesn't go to a daycare center and is with me most of the day, I knew I needed to start working on some of his academic skills.

And, I know I'm his Mama and I'm supposed to say this, but.... this kid has some smarts.

Must take after his daddy.

So after lots of research, we dove into the school year with our own little version of preschool.

Right now, at 20 months old, Levi's goals are:

Learning his colors

Learning shapes

Begin counting (he can count to 5!)

Begin identifying letters

Lots of reading together

Expand his vocabulary

LOTS of creative play

In our family room, I carved out a little area for his preschool things:

The key being that I wanted his items accessible, but organized.

Clearly labeled so that he can help in putting things back where they belong.

How I've structured our time is that we do mini-units every 2 weeks (give or take).

So for now, we are on "Fall".

We are still working on his general concepts (shapes, colors, etc.)

But through structured play that corresponds to the theme.

I've gathered a billion ideas from Pinterest, and organized them into a little binder so I can keep it all together.

 A fabulous blog to check out is 1 + 1+ 1= 1.

It is filled with everything you'd need to start Tot School inclduing free printables!

You can also follow my Preschool Pinterest board for ideas!

 Each week, on our book shelf is 3 baskets. 

Each basket has an activity or toy that goes with the theme.

They may be homemade stick puppets that go along with a book, blocks, toy animals, leaves, etc.

This helps keep toys fresh and interesting.

At Levi's age, with the attention span of an active one year old boy, we only do preschool for 20-30 minutes. Much of the time is lead by him. 

We usually have time for him to explore the activities in his basket, we then read a book that goes with the theme, then usually some type of art project.

Really? You can make it what works best for you and your little one.

This is meant to be intentional, fun learning.

To get started....here's items I recommend.

Laminator 

 I got this one at Target for $25.

You can get refill pouches for cheap on Amazon.

Definitely recommend this.

Velcro Dots

Work great when making puzzles or labels

Binder rings

For making your own books

Bookcase

So items are organized and accessible for little ones

Baskets

Lots and lots of baskets. Organization is key.

Kid size work space

A little table and chair are great for them to do reading or art

Magnet Board

Great for kids to manipulate items and practice storytelling

Paint Dot Markers

These are washable and fabulous for little hands!

And to help you get started, just right-click and download these labels I made in organizing your own preschool area!

Just print, laminate and attach to your baskets!

And for us, teaching Levi the Gospel is the center of our day.

I pray and strive to show Christ-like patience and love to him.

We look at the wonders outside and how our Creator made them.

We practice saying sorry and forgiving.

We read Bible stories and try to recall the characters.

We pray for those around us.

God has entrusted Levi's precious mind and soul to me to mold and shape and I pray daily for His wisdom.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Is anyone else a "home preschooler"?

Have any great tips or resources?

Thankful

Today is Pregnancy & Baby Loss Remembrance Day.

A day I wish didn't exist.

I wish every positive pregnancy test ensured a healthy baby.

That pregnancy would be full of joy and anticipation.

That all baby's are born healthy and get to live a happy life.

But many of us know the cruel reality.

The dropping HCG levels.

The silent face of the technician during a sonogram.

The many heavy decisions to make.

The calls of telling loved ones the terrible news.

The sleepless night sobbing and wondering what could've been.

The feeling of helplessness.

The disappointment in your own body.

The surgeries.

The doctor's appointments.

The tucking away of cute baby things that bring too much sorrow to look at.

I also know we have a loving God. A Father who loves us.

That we do not know the plans He has for us. And for our children as well.

The year that we lost 3 pregnancies and underwent infertility testing and treatments were the darkest months I have yet to encounter.

I felt so alone. So isolated.

I felt incredible sorrow and jealousy.

I felt doubt and confusion.

But through it all...though I did not understand, I knew God was good and He had a plan.

That was my rock that kept me going.

It's been nearly 3 years since that very dark time.

The Lord has since blessed me with my sweet little boy.

I am thankful each and every day to have experienced a healthy pregnancy and getting to mother my son.

Motherhood is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

It has grown me in so many ways.

I am not the same woman I was prior.

But I am thankful.

I am thankful that no matter where my life would be now,

whether I would still have empty arms and a broken heart,

or a home full of children.

My God is good.

And for that I am thankful.

Catch Up

So, I haven't blogged in a bit.

I've been a bit busy with life.

What have I been up to?

Besides work, marriage, managing a home, and raising a boy?

We've been enjoying lots of family time

 

Mommy & Son Target Date

 Visiting the family Train Museum

Quality time with the cousins

 Fun with a friend at Chuck E Cheese (Carlos Queso)

Snuggles with a sick boy : (

 I had my very first home show where I got to show off my items that I sew

 I did pretty well, sold quite a few things. I was very proud.

So I've been sewing my booty off completing orders and preparing for the show.

Levi was sick today so I was home all day with him and was able to rest and get the house back in order.

I'm looking forward to life calming down a bit and getting back in business.

And a little birdy told me only 22 school days left!

Woohoo!

And one last picture that is absolutely hilarious.

Can you guess which boy is my son?!

Dear Levi

My Mission Statement

You need to go to this blog.

Inspired to Action.

It is....inspiring. Hence the name.

Kat has amazing resources, e-books and podcasts to encourage your walk with Christ and growth as a woman, wife and mother.

I read and printed off her e-book "Mission Statements for Moms".

Not going to lie...my first impression was kind of an eye roll.

I remember spending an entire day of professional development last summer coming up with our school's mission statement.

Did I really need one as a mom?

But as I read the ebook, I saw the need.

If my main priorities in life (being a believer, wife, mother, homemaker and employee) really were priorities, then they needed a vision and a goal!

So definitely, go download her e-book and brainstorm your priorities and actions you will choose to do daily to grow in those roles.

I sat down this evening with pen in hand and got to work.

And here is what I came up with:

It's pretty darn wordy, and I know it will be tweaked over time.

But for now, it will help focus my oh-so-precious time and be a constant reminder of my purpose God has called me to do.

I plan to print this off and put it in areas where I need this focus
(my work area, home binder, etc.)

One thing I love that Kat mentioned is that our own unique mission statement helps us from comparing ourselves to others or that "perfect" mom we imagine. As we pray over our roles, God gives us a direct purpose that only we can do.

Have you made your own mission statement? Is it something you plan to do in the future?

The lie of Pinterest perfection

My best friend (and new Mama) and I were discussing last night the ill side effects of Pinterest (and the internet, social media, blogs and Facebook).

But more specifically, Pinterest.

Now, first of all, I love Pinterest.

It has given me some great ideas and is a great way to organize the little things I found amongst blogs so that I can find them again when I need them.

However, there is a bad side of it all.

A feeling like every other woman, mom and teacher has their lives all put together, and I don't.

But, my friends, Pinterest is a lie.

People never "pin" the real life.

They pin the fantasy.

For example, I've pinned pictures of our basement remodel.

Here's the pic I've pinned for the world to see:

Ah, organized, straightened up...perfection.

But here's how it looks now (and how it looks about 70% of the time...)

Tada.

Hopefully many of you can relate.

I now have a mobile, very curious son, a busy life and a hatred of laundry.

But do I pin or blog with these images? No.

Why not?

Because I want to look like I have it all together.

But I don't.

Who is that helping?

I've pinned more than 1700 items.

I've *maybe* only actually tried about a dozen or so of them.

Do I make my own cleaners? No (except for laundry detergent...I do actually do that!)

Are all our dinners organic, clean and from scratch each night? Heck no.

Do I use 20 coupons per single item so I get paid to shop. Nu-uh.

Have I crafted a dozen things from a single sheet of scrap book paper? Well...close. But no.

Here's another humbling example.

An absolutely gorgeous kitchen I had pinned.

Reality?

Dirty dishes in the sink and crud on the counter tops.

I say all this as an encouragement.

I strive to keep my home in order, food on the table, planning creative activities all while saving money.

But, the perfection projected onto Pinterest simply isn't feasible.

Our children know we love them by the quality time we spend with them. The memories we make.

Not by whether we did every one of the 101 Activities with Toddlers we had pinned a year ago.

Guests know we care for them by the climate of our home as we greet and minister to them. Not by always having fresh-cut roses on the dinner table and perfect appetizers waiting for them.

Our husbands know we love them by praying for them, helping raise their children, laughing with them, running errands, working, throwing dinner together and clipping coupons. Not by an immaculate house that has never seen dust, gourmet dinners and a rockin' 6 pack.

I love to learn from other women and their strengths, but be encouraged that God has created you as a unique woman, mom and wife. You bless your family and others in the way that He created you.

So let's not beat ourselves up or hide behind the mask of perfection. 

The only perfect one is our Lord and Saviour. Pretending to be perfect ourselves is minimizing his Lordship in our lives.

As a reminder to myself, I often read this short little story about Mary and Martha in Luke

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feetlistening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

                                         Luke 10:38-42

So often, I find myself trying to be Martha. Having everything perfect, and not having my focus being where it should. I should be resting at the feet of Jesus. Not running around with the world searching for perfection. Only with the correct focus on life can I truly be happy.

28

I'm now 28.

Yesterday was my birthday.

It was perfect.

I don't feel 28.

Honestly? I feel about 19.

Anyways....

My birthday consisted of:

Sleeping in

Snuggling with my boys

Coffee

Shopping

Dinner date

27 was an amazing year.

Probably the best yet.

God has sure blessed me.

He has given me my perfect partner in life.

Who is incredibly hot by the way. : )

He blessed us with an amazing son....who we fall more in love with each and every minute.

We have a home that we are constantly making our own.

We each have jobs...and I'm able to be mostly home with our son.

I've been able to be creative with my sewing and even bless my family financially by it.

We have an incredibly supportive and loving church family.

We have the best family and friends we could ever dream of.

27 was fantastic and I am so excited to see what He has in store for us for Year 28.

Life and Holiday Randomness

This post is gonna be a whole lot of random.

As is my life lately.

Between finishing up orders for my Etsy store, sewing items for my family, Levi's first Christmas, teaching, family events, etc.....life is nuts!

And I wouldn't have it any other way!

So bear with me....

Yesterday, Levi and I made salt dough ornaments according to our Advent calendar.

I did Levi's hand and foot prints as well as each of our initials.

I followed this recipe.

I think adorned them with some paint pens Mr. Free had.

So then, Monday morning I woke up to this.

 

And by Monday night, I had this.

 The Delta Ashton faucet.

We had long wanted a brushed nickel faucet, but our existing faucet was perfectly fine. (Was a hand-me-down from Mr. Free's parents old kitchen)

So several clams later, we have a pretty new faucet. : )

Merry Christmas to us.

I'm handmaking our Christmas cards this year. 

Still not done.

Hopefully they will be done and sent before next Christmas.

No promises. 

 I've been sewing up a storm.

I've had plenty of orders to keep me busy.

The modern floor poufs have been my biggest seller, so I decided to expirement with a square pouf.

I know, I'm a crazy woman.

 I also made Levi a sweet train onesie for a special occasion

Mr. Free's extended family has a big Christmas party every year.

His great-aunt and uncle complete decorate their home to look like the north pole.

AND they have a train museum on their property.

Including a full size caboose.

It makes you feel like a kid again, and Levi had a blast!

Levi also met Santa for the first time!

He was so good!

He just sat there like a little gentleman!

It's peppermint mocha season.

I'm a happy girl.

And I love the little chocolate curls on top.

Makes life better.

On December 5, a sweet little boy came into this world!

Emmett Lee was born to an amazing set of parents.

His mama and daddy are our best-friends-in-the-whole-wide-world and we were so excited for our little men to meet!

They had the gender of the baby be a surprise so we all were thrilled with the great news!

Levi and Emmett are destined to be best-of-friends.

He is one adorable little boy.

I can't wait to see all the mischief these two get themselves into!

And finally, on December 8th, Levi turned 10 months old.

How did this happen?!

Just last week he was being swaddled and waking every 3 hours to eat, barely able to hold his head up.

Now he's crawling super fast, pulling up and thisclose to walking!

Each day is personality comes out even more and it is such a joy to see!

He is stinkin' funny!!!

His latest tricks:

- Climbing the stairs

- Tilting his head to the side to get your attention

- If you ask him what Santa says, he will say "ho ho ho".

- He dances every time he hears music

- He thinks the sound "BLAH" is hilarious. He will belly laugh so hard to that noise

- He has 4 teeth

I am so thankful and blessed to be his Mama.

So yeah, life is crazy. Good crazy.

I'm looking forward to more Christmas lights, cocoa and Christmas movies.

'Tis the Season.

22 Things I'm Thankful For

Since it's that time of year to reflect on ways that we are so richly blessed.  Here we go.

1. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without him, I am nothing. 

2. My amazing husband. He is my best friend. He is the funniest man on earth. He is adventurous. He loves people. And I love him.

3. My son. I am so thrilled to be able to write that this year! With the hardships we have had, having him here with us this Thanksgiving is such a true blessing. Being a mom is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received.

4. My family. My mom raised my sister and I by herself after my dad passed away. She did an amazing job and I am so grateful. My sister is hilarious and the best aunt ever. I am blessed with many loving grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

5. My in-laws. I've known them since I was a little kid, and even got my sister-in-laws hand-me-downs when I was little. I have the best in-laws in the world and I love seeing them with Levi. 

6. Our friends. Mr. Free and I are very social and our friends are like family to us. We love them so very much!

7. Our church. Our church is like an extension of our family. They have known us since we were little and truly care and pray for us. It is a blessing to serve with them!

8. Modern medicine. I wouldn't be alive here today without it. And my son wouldn't be here today. And as annoying as it is.... I truly am grateful.

9. Our home. It may be a little shoebox, but a lot of love has gone into it. And being able to purchase it from my grandpa was a huge blessing. 

10. My job. I absolutely love teaching music. And I am so thrilled to be able to teach half-time. That means mornings are spend un-rushed and enjoying my son. And each afternoon I have the privilege of teaching the next generation how to be musicians!

11. Mr. Free's job. When we first were married, he had just finished the Fire Academy to be a Firefighter. I was supportive and wanted him to do what he wanted. But, when he decided to go into Art Education...I was thrilled! We can truly understand each other at the end of the day, we always have funny stories about our kids, and the schedule! I love all the family time we have!

12. Our babysitter. Tiffani is a true Godsend! She loves Levi so so much! I was dreading having anyone watch my sweet boy, but being with her I am completely at ease. And seeing Levi play with her daughter is one of the sweetest things!

13. My sewing machine. It's sure had a workout lately. It's allowed me to channel my creative juices and at the same time contribute to our budget a bit. 

14. This blog. It's been a great outlet over the years, and it's fun to look back at old posts and see how God has worked in our lives!

15. Our pets. They are crazy and naughty, but we sure love them. They were our first "kids" and we are excited for Levi to interact with them more and more!

16.  Caffeine. Never have I needed it more than after becoming a mom. I am thankful for Diet Coke and Starbucks : )

17. Date night. Sunday nights after Levi is in bed, Mr. Free and I heat up a frozen pizza and watch a movie. It's nothing fancy, but I look forward to it every week!

18. Books. I love books about being a godly woman, wife and mother. I am thankful for others wisdom in helping my husband and son as well as running our home.

19. Pinterest. Seriously. I have learned so much. It's made me a better teacher, baker, cook, decorator, etc.....

20. Cookie butter. Seriously. This stuff is my crack.

21. Having "just enough". We have never had plenty, we have never gone without. The Lord has provided us in each season of life to pay our bills. For that I am incredibly grateful.

22. Hardships. I've had a few trying times in my life, and as much as I wouldn't wish them upon anyone, I am thankful to have that experience. These life challenges have opened up relationships and ministry opportunities I wouldn't otherwise have. And taught me just how precious life is.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!