Preschool

Since I have been open about all the things that are going on in our life, I want to make sure to evenly show the positive as well as the other. As many of you already know, due to all of my health issues we weren't able to sign Little Lady up for preschool back in Feb. I was just trying to get through one day at a time and really wasn't thinking about long term issues. So you can imagine the guilt I felt after trying to pursue preschools, only to be turned down due to how late we had applied. Little lady has been begging to go to school since I. had started kindergarten. Every day she would ask me when it would be her turn. She wouldn't whine, she'd just ask with her big puppy dog eyes. I have been calling and calling the schools, only to hear that the chances weren't good. That is until a couple of days ago! We thank the Good Lord for answering our prayers, because she is in! I will be having to drive her back and forth, so this is going to be a huge stretch for me. She will be going to a different school, so I am still trying to figure out how I am going to map all of this out between the two kids. I'm nervous as I already move slower than molasses in the morning due to my meds. I can't drink caffeine, so it's really hard for me to get going till about late afternoon. Since there is no second shift school (seriously, some one has to think this is a good idea?) I have dig deep and pray for energy. I even have started by taking my meds earlier in the evening, but still I just lay in bed drowsily but can't sleep. I Kelly, am a night owl. Yes, I am nocturnal. It could be my only explanation! I wake up every hour and then play the "1,2,3, SLEEP!" game. Seth could fall asleep with a train driving by our house. Me? I hear a spider sneeze and I am reply "bless you." Okay, since I am pretty much deaf, I can't, but you see where I am going;) So we are trying to turn my clock back around. Anyone have any non-caffeinated suggestions on how to turn this around?? So now I will be facing germaphobia head on. 2 kids in 2 different schools, looks like I am getting a crash course in germs and the full out knowledge of the non-existent control that I thought I had, all goes out the window. Considering Aria is our licker, well you get my drift (sigh). With my health still teetering I am forced to go back to the basics of trusting that G-d has my back. Needless to say, this is going to be a challenging year for me. I know long term for the kids, this is so important. They need to have this socialization, the structure, the every day normal life experience. For that I am grateful. I want my kids to look back on their childhood with happiness, not stifling sorrow. So, that's where we are at. I am getting together school schedules, back packs, and they are quite excited. You would have thought we had won the lottery the way we jumped around when we got the acceptance letter. I am asking for your continued prayers for healing, courage, peace, and wisdom as we enter into a new phase for us. This may seem ordinary to most, but for me, this is a challenge. As scared as I am, I am thrilled. I am thankful for each day that G-d reveals Himself to us in such amazing ways. I loved all of your feedback about the banking situation, it was so helpful. Today's question that I leave you with is, how do you change your sleeping habits? Any tips or would be helpful. I am so thankful for all of your prayers and encouragement. May the Lord bless you with a beautiful day.

I Need Your Input!

Our kids are getting to the age that they are figuring out what money is. Seth and I are in the process of trying to teach them how to save money. I want them to put it straight into the bank, I feel they are much to young to manage their money. Seth feels that having it in a piggy bank at home, will be more of an incentive. We are at a crossroads of what to do. What do/did you do to teach your kids/self how to save your money? Since I. is a little more CEO based, he tends to like to farm out the work on his little sis, I'd really like to teach him the value of hard work. I don't want money just to be handed over, I want him to really have to work for it because then he won't be apt to spend it so quickly. I have noticed at the store that impulse buying is going to be a vice for him. Any advertisement sitting out, he immediately is intrigued. This is new for him and Aria could care less at this moment. I don't want them to grow up being cheap, but I also don't want them to spend like crazy. What have you found worked/works to manage this fine line? I don't want them to feel like we are controlling their savings, but in a way, don't we have to? I realize that Seth and I could have never foreseen our future to be as it is, so I don't know that financially we could have saved for all that we have been through. Yet, I can't help but wonder if would have started when we were much younger that maybe we would have made wiser choices. I'd love your suggestions, we need them!

Birthday and Bikes!

I love summer. No rigid schedules to follow, just going with the flow and seeing where the day takes us (although some days I wonder if I did anything?). I have had a rough go for a while here, but I am trying hard to focus on all the great things that are happening around us. These past two days have been great! I felt well enough to put on my makeup and do up my hair! We were even fortunate enough to have a friend of ours watch our kids so we could do some errands! It cracks me up that our idea of a "date" consists right now of doing errands, but it works! Little Lady had her 4th birthday. She is a gracious thing. She isn't about getting stuff, she was so content to have what she had and didn't beg for more. Isaiah, Seth, and I surprised her by singing to her before she woke up. She sat up and squealed "Am I 4? For me?!" Seth prepared his famous french toast and realized that we were out of syrup and came up with the fancy idea of using Nutella instead! She was so excited. Her little voice squeaked all day with excitement. We were able to get together with some family who came across the Lake by ferry and that was quite a treat as well. Bubbe's older sister came with. Seth and I were so happy to see her, as she reminds us so much of Bubbe. It's hard to believe that 4 years ago Bubbe had been up with us at the hospital when Aria was born, and now that she has passed on, it meant that much more to see my Great Aunt. They brought over 4 generations of Ladies, so it was really fun. For the rest of the day we hung out with our little family. I tire easy, so My Little Ponies took over our house. We decided to go for our evening walk and were watching Isaiah just flying up and down the block on his scooter. Seth and I decided it was time to take his training wheels off of his bike. The last time we did this I knew he wasn't ready. This time I explained that it's like balancing on his scooter and that he probably would fall, but that it'd be okay. Isaiah is a lot like me, he has be to be comfortable with the idea of something and you can't push him. So off we went to a church parking lot. We took off the wheels and expected him to take a while to get his footing, so we waited while holding our breath. There were other kids across the lot, so I was wondering if that would make him be a little gun shy, but that wasn't the case. He hoped on, fiddled with the pedals and took off like a shot! He rode a good distance as we all squealed jumping up and down! Our little man is quite the professor, but things like this are harder for him, so we were thrilled. Aria was a bit upset that she didn't have the same success, but we know she won't be far behind. It was all pretty great! After having some really hard days, I sure welcomed these bright and beautiful moments to be able to participate in. I was recently asked to re evaluate my reasonings for blogging. I have been deep in thought about this question. So I guess I am on that journey and I will see where it takes me. In the meantime, it's time to start preparing for school to start. They both have grown so much this summer. Isaiah is writing, adding and subtracting, and now swimming with ease. It'll be strange to have Isaiah gone all day in 1st grade. We are STILL waiting to hear back about Aria's preschool. She asks every now and then if she gets to go. She is reading quite well and the girl is fast! She is really coming into her own and has everyone saying what a "ray of light" she really is. On some other positive news, I have gained some weight back! I never thought I'd be happy about that, but here I am! I think the botox is helping (by the grace of G-d!) and I am hoping it will last long enough for me to learn how to relax without the help of it. Stress is a huge factor in my stomach issues, so I really am praying I am able to find proper ways to filter my stress than by tensing up so much. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. I have been learning more and more about leaning on others in times of trouble and not feeling ashamed about asking for help. So pride has left the building and I just ask for your prayers and support. Your encouragement means so much to us and we can't thank you enough. We'll I should get back to my munchkins, until next time!