whoa.

We got a letter on Saturday that our middle son had been accepted in to the same school that our oldest goes to.  Which is awesome.  Except that I'm planning on homeschooling our middle son for kindergarten

(and beyond?  one year at a time... one year at a time...) 

But that letter created anxiety.  Because if we don't register him this week we lose his spot.  Gone.  They'll give it to someone else.  There is a waitlist.  There is someone waiting for his spot.  

And while I'm okay with that there's that anxiety in the back of my mind questioning if we're doing the right thing?  But everytime I question I hear God's reassuring voice that yes, this is what I want for him.  Keep him home.  Teach him.  Show him My word.  Love him.  Just love him. 

And I know it is not going to be easy.  Hello!  I have a daughter that will be home with us the entire time.  There's a good chance my husband will be gone at least part of the time. 

And so we're going to take it one day at a time, one year at a time, but I hope it is the start of something bigger for us.  Something awesome.  

Toy Story 3 Birthday on the Cheap

Last month my middle son turned 5 so we threw him a party based off his much loved movie Toy Story 3.

It turned out really cute and wanted to share because it was done a week after Christmas without breaking the bank!

 

I purchased 2 packages of 25 each of balloons at the Dollar store.  We blew them up and put them all over, the kids loved playing with them!  $2 for tons of entertainment.

We cut a hole out of the top of a box and decorated it like the claw game.  The kids got to pull their goody bags out of here.  We alternated with some crinkle paper so the older ones really had to dig.

 

We decorated piggy banks for the activity at the party.  These came in sets of 3 for $10 from Micheal's but I had 50% off coupons that week so they cost me $5 or a $1.66 per kid.  

These would have been a splurge but I traded a local organic bakery here in town (Cupcakes a la mode - check her out, she's amazing) for this adorable bed and alien cupcakes.

Finally we had pizza from "Pizza Planet" and I was able to find a bogo coupon online by simply typing in the pizza place's name and coupon code.  That made two large pizzas $13 + tip.  

All in all it was a great party, my son had a blast and felt really special that day and we didn't break the bank a week after Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Hello 2011!  Did you make an resolutions for the new year?

I didn't.  At least not in the traditional sense of making resolutions.

Instead I made a list of 31 one things I want to accomplish before I turn 32 in December of 2011.

I included fun things like get a new tattoo and re-pierce my nose. 

I included things like taking the kids to serve in a homeless shelter, developing a closer relationship with God, and to give quality as gifts this year (i.e. wooden blocks that encourage play instead of a plastic toy that will break tomorrow)

Homeschooling my middle child landed on there as did taking a cake decorating class and weaning my toddler!

The idea is to stretch myself.  To be able to look back on the year and see tangible activities that encouraged me to grow and try new things.  Not everything has to be a success, I do not count myself a failure if I don't do one.  Its just forcing me to write down where I want to go, what I want to try.  To stop saying "I'd really like to _blank_" and actually doing it!  

So when my friend said to put going to Paris with her in September I thought she was nuts!  How could I afford it?  Simple she said, we have a mutual friend living there, we can stay with her and significantly cut our costs.  Oh.  My husband said go, its always been your dream and I don't want to go there.  Huh.  Everyone I talked to said GO

And isn't this what it is about?  Stretching myself?  Trying something new?  Something I've always wanted to do?

So #10 on my list is go to Paris.  #17  is get a passport. 

Hello 2011, how you doin?