This blog has moved!

This blog has moved to --here-- Just trying to consolidate and make my life easier ;-D

Trick or Treat time

Here in Manchester, the kids trick or treat the Sunday afternoon before Halloween. Here you can see Cowboy Charlie and Fairy Tessa waiting to go.

Lapbook catch-up Post

Sorry for a few blurry pictures, Ugh!

Here is what the crew has been working on the last 2 weeks along with their Alphabet Notebooks.

The 1st book is The Carrot Seed ... a real classic. The other is Owl Babies. The boys are really enjoying working on the lapbook pieces and learning little tidbits of info as we enjoy the great stories.

Also, the lapbooks are now being used for quiet time while lunch prep is going on. Each boy will go and choose something quiet to do ... among the choices are puzzles, books and lapbooks ;-)

Alphabet Notebook Cc Dd

Here are 2 more pages that we have added to Charlie's Alphabet Notebook a little while ago.

Pumpkin Carving Time

Boy have we been busy! The boys have been working hard at their preschool lessons (will post more details soon), so hard that I haven't had time to post in a while. Well, we're taking a break for the next 2 weeks to enjoy the season and Halloween, starting with pumpkins.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

We finished our lapbooks for Brown Bear Brown Bear a little bit ago and it was more of a review of colors for Charlie but it also helped A and J learn their colors. Inside there is some memory game cards and some matching color words/color animal cards. There is also a picture of a real brown bear and one of what the bear tracks look like. The round pocket holds a "sewing" card for fine motor practice lacing around the brown bear.

Alphabet Notebook Aa Bb

Here are our 1st pages for our Alphabet Notebook. Letter Aa page has apple prints on the front, and on the back there is some colored apples with Aa words on them and colored Aa art book and some apple stickers.

The Letter Bb page is colored with blue and has buttons glued on it. On the back you can see the What begins with B wheel and Charlie's Letter Bb Book.

A brief wrap up on a busy September

It has been a busy week and finding time to blog has been hard. As far as the daycare/preschool goes, we have completed our letter Bb page for our alphabet notebooks as well as our small unit on Brown Bear, Brown Bear. I will post pics on a separate post.

I was pleasantly surprised when yesterday while getting his sneakers on, Charlie stated they had a "B" on them. Which they did because they had the "B" emblem for the Boston Red Sox on the side. He also then decided to get the empty box, waiting near the trash, to play with saying "B is for box!" Seems preschooling him is working :-D

Andrea, the oldest, has been visiting recently. She was on a "separation mode" from family, only making brief appearances and phone calls around birthday and holidays. Chuck and I strongly felt that she just needed this time to settle into her new life off on her own, aka grow a little, and would find her way back on her own better if she wasn't pushed. It appears we got that 1 right, Yay! She has been doing so well and we are very happy for her.

Jenn and the kids are the same. They are definitely struggling and its been hard but we see them often (almost daily) and she knows that when and if the time comes there is always room here for the kids and her. I think when that day comes it will be one of the hardest things in her life for Jenn to admit, and do.

Heather is back at school for her final year. I can't believe she will be a college graduate next spring. She's doing very well and keeping VERY busy between her classes and her internship necessary to receive her degree in social work.

And Amby, my original baby (before Charlie) is doing very well. Back at school in her sophomore year, she has taken her 1st apartment and is learning a little of what the "real world" is like. Her 1st audition she was cast into 2 different dance pieces. Now she has had to add those rehearsals into her dance class and academic class schedules. Second semester she is hoping to get into the study abroad program in France. Busy, busy, busy.

So there's the brief wrap up.

Coloring with thought

Charlie's coloring has changed. At 2 1/2, what used to be just a few scribbles with very little pressure has turned into intentional coloring. He now tries to color the picture, not just the whole paper. Also, there is rhyme and reason to the colors he chooses.

In the picture he colored of The Wiggles, he chose the right colors for each member of the band. Very exciting!

The Apple Pie Tree lapbook

We finished our lap books for The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall. We worked on this book and the related activities and lap book components for 1 1/2 weeks. Thanks to HSS for all the ideas and activities.

Inside our lap books there is a What begins with A wheel, a pocket containing related opposite cards, a counting apples minit book the boys glued apples to, a petal minit book about how bees help make apples, an apple tree they made, and a "recipe" for apple pie they dictated to me. We assembled the lap books today and tomorrow we'll bake our apple pie to finish off this unit.

Hair cut time :-(

Summer is over and the surfer dude in this post was not happy about this at all.

Naptime ... Oh What a Relief it is!

BFS #101 - Plop, plop, Fizz, fizz; Oh, What a Relief It Is!
Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling. Share any curriculum/home school methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family. Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!

This year there are 2 major reliefs for me regarding homeschooling three preschoolers and a 1yr old.

1st) I love this site and group http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ they have been a saving grace for me! Go and check them out, you'll love 'em.

2nd) Nap time between 12:00 - 2:00 when all 4 children are sleeping. ;-D

Mid-week check in

We have been working on the book The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall. The boys are really enjoying it. As the week has progressed I notice that they are taking the book themselves and "reading" it to each other, and as they do they seem to have picked up new info each time. Yesterday I heard Charlie and J pointing out the robins in the book and the growth of them during the year. I also heard A at 1 point telling J about what season it was in the book on a particular page. This is what I love to see.



We are working on lapbook elements daily to highlight different aspects of the book/apple tree seasons. Along with this book we are starting our alphabet notebook. This week we have been working on Aa.

Tuesday our preschool routine was interrupted by a school day off for the older boys. Although it was nice to see them, I'm glad to be back to just the younger crowd. The general atmosphere is more relaxed and the boys all seem to play better when the older 2 are away at school.

Pseudo beach time after the heavy rains

After the heavy rains that came by this weekend, we were some of the lucky ones here in Manchester that didn't have any flooding problems. Except for lots of water that needed to be removed from Charlie's sandbox, we had a very nice day and Chuck was able to finish the deck, too.

P'sghetti

Doesn't it look delicious

Chicka Chicka Lapbook

Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom, will there be enough room?

Today we completed our lapbook. Through out the week we read the book aloud everyday and worked on recognizing our own 1st initial, counting/sequencing, and just a simple basic intro to the preschool routine.

The pictures above are of Charlie's lapbook, the boys will be taking theirs home today. On the front is a picture reflecting the theme of the book and each boy glued on the various pieces to assemble the coconut tree. Inside there are pockets for upper and lowercase letters, an accordion mini-book of their name that they assembled (with help), and a pocket with coconut tree cards that they can work on putting in order per number of coconuts in the tree. As you can see they also enjoyed gluing foam letters all over the inside as well. All are very proud of their finished product.

BFS Assignment #100 - Oh What a Feeling!

I had a hard time figuring out how to write what I feel about homeschooling and then the parent of the almost 4yr old I care for took care of it for me.

When her older 2 boys were getting ready to start school there was a lot of talk between the boys about being "old enough and ready" for school. The older 2 were often teasing the A(3) that he wasn't old enough to go to school and he needed to talk better before he could. Here, http://stephaniefurness.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html#426696042707402987 , I mention that this little boy was denied admittance to the sped. ed preschool in this city, and we were all really surprised. I told all the boys that we, their Mom and I, decided that A will be having preschool here with me and the other kids.

Yesterday after our 1st day of preschool, here, A's Mom picked up and was very excited for her little ones. Apparently 1 of the older boys told her that it wasn't fair that A and J got to have preschool at our house while they went to school. The boys showed her their 1st day of school papers, talked about Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and both her and the kids were very happy. To see the look of pride on both A's and his Mom's face was priceless. It was something that was very seldom there.

Self-confidence and pride in your accomplishments is something I always felt was very important while educating my older children. They have gone on to be great adults. This is a character that I also want to see in my son and will be happy to help instill it in any child's heart.

1st official day of school.

Today the older boys went off to school so with A(3), J(2) and Charlie(2) we officially were able to start preschool. It was nice to be able to get back to a "school" routine.

We colored out "1st day of school" papers, attached pictures of each boy to them and they dictated to me a few bits of info about themselves. As a group we read Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom by Bill Martin and glued pieces of a coconut tree onto the cover sheet for our lapbook.

We spent lots of time outside playing and "helping" Chuck who was finishing building the deck. The afternoon will be spent playing in the pool and yard. It was a very good day.

Hair, lots of it

Do you think Charlie could use a trip to the barber shop?

Last days of summer

The last day of summer for the daycare is here. This is what a week of just playing ... aka no curriculum ... looks like around here.

It has been beautiful weather. With sun every day and the temps in the low 70's in the am, 80's in the afternoon we have really been enjoying lots of time outside. Next week school begins for the older boys and we here will start concentrating on our FIAR and Letter of the week curriculum.

Just the little man and me

Its been a busy week. Monday 2 of our girls were shipped off back to college :-( Heather out to Westfield for her final year, and Amberlyn to Pittsburgh for her sophomore year.



Charlie has grown extremely close to Amby this summer and is now old enough to understand that she is away at school and not here. He keeps asking "Amby all done at school?" and "We take a ride and go get Amby?" Its sweet but sad, too. We wont see either girl again until Thanksgiving.



Chuck left for Conn. yesterday and wont be back until late Labor Day night. He has a show out there at the Woodstock Fair. So it is just the little man and myself ... of course I still have the boys and Tessa here for daycare today and Tessa for daycare over the weekend as well. My plan is to use this time to catch up on the unpacking that still needs to be done from the move and to get ahead on curriculum and have most of the prep done for upcoming lapbooks. We'll see how it all plays out ;-)

Hello Ocean Lapbook

Last week we finished up our summer curriculum and completed our Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz lap books. All the boys made their own, this one here is Charlie's. There is a shell memory game, a sand castle he made, a fan with names and pictures of what you would find in a tide pool. There's some poems and songs, and a mini book about what your 5 senses experience at the ocean. This is a great hands-on lapbook he can look at over and over again. Thanks to http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ for the great unit!

Back in the groove ... I hope

Its Wednesday and things seem to have settled back to norm. Boy, I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

Yesterday we worked on a mural of the ocean as a group. The older boys are responsible for the actual mural art that is hanging in the kitchen at the moment. While the younger crew is napping, that is when they can work on the detailed coloring of the ocean floor.

As a group we are painting various sea life so they can be hung on the mural when it is ready.

With only 1 1/2 weeks left before public school starts, I'm hoping this great weather sticks around so we can enjoy the outdoors before the boys head back to sitting in a classroom all day.

Back to square 1

Hail, hail, the gangs all here .... Everyone is back from the unexpected week off we just had. The boys are in "rare" form as I expected they would be, oh well.

I think school will be put on the back burner as I try to reign in the troops again. That's what so hard with a break in schedule. It seems, every time the boys return from a week in Maine with their Dad the same problems occur. Dylan's ego is shot and he either is saying he's stupid, or he's trying to control all the younger kids and being bossy. Tyler comes back way to full of himself with an attitude that he's always right no matter what and constantly tries to irritate his brothers and get them riled up. Austin returns very whiny and out of control but once he settles in seems to improve quickly, liking the stability. Justin always comes back, back to square 1 with potty training and baby talking and just plain "baby" habits.

This week, as far as schooling goes, is shot. Too bad because Charlie was really doing well and enjoying it.

Mid-week random thoughts

Mid-week update....with lots of random thoughts.

As it turned out, its been pretty much Charlie and I for the week. The boys I care for were out Mon. and Tues. because their mom was feeling pretty lousy. Since her childcare is a partial scholarship through the state, she cannot have the kids here unless she is actually at work. Last week she was excused from that ruling while she underwent 5 days of chemo but that was all they allowed. She was planning to be able to go back to work this week but she is still feeling pretty rough. Eventually the boys ended up at their Dad's house in Maine so she could recuperate and he will be keeping them there until Sunday.

Charlie and I started our Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz. We've been reading it everyday and working on a small project to put into his lapbook. Thanks to http://homeschoolshare.com we've had lot of fun working on this together.

Today we had some friends come over to play that we hadn't seen in a while. Charlie had a lot of fun and it was great to see them.

Tessa should be back tomorrow for daycare. We haven't seen her since her birthday party on Saturday ... she made it to 1. I think that has to be the longest time we've gone with out a family visit or daycare. Should be interesting ;-)

On another note regarding the boys in y care. I spoke with their mom after she attended the school meeting today. It was an meeting to go over the results of the testing he had. The school system feels he is not far enough behind to warrant admittance in the spec. ed preschool program. I am completely shocked with that.

He is pre-k age and he cannot count past 2, does not know his colors and shapes or recognize any letters. His speech is very difficult to understand, even to me, and I've been with him daily for since May. In my opinion he also has sensory issues. He doesn't like the feel of sand, will only eat certain food, prefers his shirts inside out so the seams won't touch him to name just a few. He has trouble adjusting to changes in any way. I think Mom is just to sick/tired to fight at the moment. Looks like it will be up to me to try and get him closer to where he needs to be during this coming school year.

Our 1st lapbook

We're moving on. We are ready to go from somewhere in the galaxy to deep in the ocean.



The boys have finished their unit on space. We learned about the sun and the moon and how they effect us here on Earth. We made a mobile of the planets in our solar system, putting them in the correct order. The older boys colored the planets as accurately as they could getting info from various places.



We made our 1st lapbooks with this unit. Each boy chose a picture to color and cut out to glue to the front. Inside they had pictures of all 8 planets, the sun, a moon dial that showed the phases of the moon, and lots of facts about each. We also talked about astronauts and made flip books about what astronauts mights wear, eat, and do in space. They all came up with some fun thoughts and I either wrote them down for them or they wrote it themselves. Here's a few examples:

Charlie (2 1/2) "they wear jammies and go to bed"

Justin (2 1/2)"they eat hotdogs and french fries"

Austin (3 1/2)"They fly"

Tyler (6)"They eat space food, float around and do science stuff"

Dylan (7)"They learn about new stars and look for aliens"



This coming week we will by introducing the FIAR concept to start our ocean theme. We will be reading Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz and working on a lap book that goes along with it from http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ . We'll dig deeper into sea life according to the interest levels of the group. Check out the large shell collection I have and learn all we can.

Pre-preschool has begun!

Pre-preschool has begun! Today we started our space exploration unit and everyone enjoyed it. The theme was chosen by Tyler (6). I read the book "The Sun: Our Nearest Star" by F. M. Branley. We sponge painted yellow suns that we will use later in the week to make solar system mobiles. After lunch the boys were able to sit at the table and color a choice of space vehicle pictures while everyone finished eating.

The older boys worked on some of the fun activity sheets that I had for them while the younger half napped. They also chose to cut out the space ship they colored and glued it to their space folders. By the time school starts they should be already in the swing of learning :-) That's the plan anyways.

We spent time outside in the morning and in the afternoon. Everyone had a pretty good day. Hopefully now that we are settled in and starting "school" the routine and focus will keep mischievous mayhem at bay.

Tonight, Charlie and I will start "The Wind in the Willows" for our read out loud book.

TGIF

TGIF

Its been a long one, that's for sure. The boys and Tessa all came back for daycare Wed - Fri and it was one of the longest 3 days ever. But, we managed to get through it.



The house is semi-set up. That's to say that yes there are still many boxes left to unpack, but they are mostly clothing and up on the 2nd floor. The kitchen, playroom, dining room, and for the most part, TV room are easy to move around in and safe for the kids.



Austin has had a hard time dealing with the change. He's been easily set off and excitable and his 2 older brothers delight in doing just that. That has been the hardest part of the days. Hopefully next week he will have settled in enough that Dylan and Tyler wont be able to get him all riled up so easily. Austin's Mom will get the results and recommendations from the school department on the 13th from the evaluation he went through at the beginning of the month. I am almost positive he will be attending the public sp. ed. preschool at least 3 days a week.

This weekend I will be (hopefully) finishing the unpacking. Hey, maybe I can even find my desk and sewing table under the boxes. I also need to set up the example lapbook on space and get ready for that topic next week. The 2 older boys chose space and ocean as our last themes of the summer.

We made it!

We have arrived. The move was a bit hectic but in the end we got pretty much everything here by 4:00. The house is a maze of boxes and random stuff that needs sorting out and slowly but surely I am finding the floors in each room.

Of course, all the kids return for daycare tomorrow so today is crunch day. At the very least, I need the 1st floor useable and safe for Tessa.

More later, right now its back to work.

Ready for September

Today is my last day for Internet access until all is set up at the new house. Over the last week or so, I've been busy searching and deciding on the homeschooling curriculum for preschool we will be attacking next year.

At 1st we were going to stick to a theme, color, and shape and lightly introduce #s and letters, but that has changed. Mainly because Charlie is further along than I realized. A few weeks ago while eating ABC type cookies he correctly identified the letter A. I was surprised so I "tested" him on a few others and sure enough he can recognized almost half of the alphabet. I am thrilled to say the least. He loves being read to and "reading" books on his own.

As far as #s go, he can correctly count by rote to 14 (then it gets a little fuzzy). He recognizes the #s 1 and 8 (random, I know) and can count actual items up to 10 so he's doing great there, too.

I've decided to go with a literature based curriculum using a combination of FIAR and lapbooking units from http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ While using http://www.letteroftheweek.com/ to work on the letters/phonics.

I will, of course, also have Justin (who is a few months older than Charlie) full time and Austin (who will be four soon) on a part time basis because he will be in the sped preschool program. Neither can count past 3 or identify letters. They know most of their colors and some shapes, though so we'll expose them to everything and see how much they can absorb.

So, since I wont have the Internet for a little bit I've been busy downloading and working up the plan so that at least for the 1st month everything is in place and I can take the next few weeks to settle in and unpack/organize the new house. We're ready for September!

Provided we survive the rest of the summer that is.

The Home Stretch

The final week is finally here! We're into the home stretch and I can't wait 'til its over. We're hoping to have everything but the furniture moved before Saturday.

The whole gang is here for daycare and it will be very interesting to see how it works keeping them from killing each other all while I'm trying to pack and clean. Plus, daily we'll be making trips to the new house at the end of the day so toys will be slowly disappearing as the week goes.

Saturday we pick up the rental truck, the guys should be here around 8:00am and the tentative plan is to be moved ... hopefully ... by lunch.

We'll see.

TGIF

TGIF .... Its been a very tiring week. Between entertaining the 5 boys all day and packing/purging when I can, I'm beat by the end of the day. Then at night we've been taking runs to the new house to drop off what I managed to get packed during the day. Charlie hasn't been getting to bed until 9:00 which leaves me all of 15 - 20 minutes before I want to crash.

I'm so LAME.

Thank God it the weekend. We still will be packing, purging,and dropping off at the new house (a lot actually) but I will only have Charlie and Tessa. Its been so hot that all week I've had the kids outside and in the pool all day but nap time .... but with just the 2 little ones I plan to keep them in for the weekend ... Yay! Believe me that's a break.

They best laid plans ....

The whole gangs here. The boys are back from their 2 weeks with their father in Maine. As it turns out, they will not be going back again this summer, sooo I have them all, all summer. Eek!

Actually the day went rather smoothly and there were no real problems. But I think it will be tough keeping 5 boys between 2 1/2 and 7 entertained all summer. Add to that craziness is the upcoming move.

Now that they are not going back to their Dad's, they will be here right up until the move. I was planning to move most of the toys and daycare supplies next week while they were gone and then get everything set up the following week after the move before they came back. You know what they say " The best laid plans ..."

2 Weeks, YIKES!

The house is clean and we've even starTed moving in some of the smaller boxes. My sewing table and machine have also been moved so now unfortunately I can't use "I'm working on the quilt" as an excuse not to get the rest of this place packed :-/

This weekend we will work intensively on the bedrooms and getting all the clothes packed and moved (except for what we will need for the next 2 weeks.) YIKES! I can't believe we will be moving in 2 weeks.

The boys from the daycare will be back next week so I can't move too many daycare toys and supplies. They'll be here for 1 week and then off again to their Dad's in Maine for 2 weeks, so after next week, we'll pack up and get all the main toys, daycare supplies, etc ready.

Well, back to work.

cleaning ... day 2

Yesterday I spent another fun-filled day cleaning the new house. I picked up Jenn and Tessa and had them come along with Charlie and I. Jenn brought a ton of laundry since the washer and dryer are up and running. Except for the fact that having Tessa there to keep Charlie company, it was counter-productive having them there.

The only task Jenn started and completed was to wash the sliding glass doors that head out to the patio. Tessa had been spitting up the whole day like a camel ... when I finally got an answer out of Jenn about what she fed her the night before it explained everything. The girl has allergies to soy and dairy products. Last night Jenn fed her boxed mac 'n cheese which has both soy and dairy. As she put it, "how are we going to know if she isn't allergic anymore unless she has it." FRUSTRATING!

I did manage to get the kitchen finished as well as the downstairs bathroom, so the 1st floor is clean, woohoo!

Time to clean ....

Oh how I hate cleaning other people's dirt. Of course I don't necessarily like to clean my own dirt, but someone else's dirt is just gross!

Today, Charlie and I went over to the new house to start the major cleaning that needs doing. I got the dining room ceiling, floor and walls done, the carpets in the playroom and living room vacuumed, and cleaned the toilet and sink area of the down stairs bathroom.

We ran the dish washer, washer and dryer and all seem to work great. Tomorrow I'll work on the kitchen. I've got to scrub the appliances and the counters, they are so greasy. I also need to wash all the cabinets with the Murphy's Oil Soap. We may pack a lunch so we can stay a little longer instead of coming home like we did today. We'll see.

Right now I just feel tired and gross.

Ugh!

Its been a long day.

The day started at 5:00am, which normally isn't too bad because it means I get coffee in peace. Today, though, Charlie decided to let Mom only get 2 sips into her coffee before he woke up. Ugh!

He also woke up on the wrong side of the bed ... which is quite a feat considering his bed runs flat along the wall. Needless to say its been a day of whining and lots of grumpy rebellion from him, something very rare around here. Ugh!!

The boys arrived still wearing cruddy green noses and full of all kinds of energy, another thing Charlie wasn't up for. Tessa arrived and proceeded to puke on Jenn right as she was leaving for work. She had a very pukie day today ... all day, Ugh!!!

Luckily it was beautiful out all day and we spent almost every waking moment outside playing. For Pirates week, we did finish the spy scopes they were making and we used them to watch for trucks going by on the rode.

During nap I did get to start the purge process for the move. I filled 4 kitchen size trash bags of clothes that I'm donating to the Goodwill. Of course it was all from my closet, too. It was stuff I haven't worn in a long time, stuff that was many sizes bigger than I am now, and just random clothes. Scary, huh?

Anyways, the Purge and Pack has official begun, Ugh!!!!!

A few more new house photos ...

We're moving!

We're moving. It's official, we got the house and we're moving.

I'm psyched about the house and all the room we'll be gaining but I hate the idea of packing up what's here. I'm a pack rat in some ways. So it'll be more of a purging and packing scene. I have 4-5 weeks to take care of it all but that doesn't seem enough.

The house, here's the official description:

First Floor:

* Foyers - one for front door and one for side/back door

* Double Living Room with large wood stove, helps to take the edge of the gas heating costs.

* Dining Room with slate floor

* Kitchen has counter space for all your appliances and more, extremely long galley type kitchen.

* Office space located at front of the house with view of the street with high speed Internet access and extra phone hookups to enable second phone line for that in-home business.

* Downstairs bathroom is a MUST SEE!! It is as large as a normal sized bedroom!! A hot tub is located in an alcove in the bathroom.

* Laundry room off the kitchen with washer and dryer included.

Second Floor:

* Master Bedroom with built in drawers & cabinets and private bath

* 2 additional bedrooms

* Large sitting area (could also be used as a bedroom/or nursery)

House is over 100 years old and is a typical New England style home. Over sized 1 car garage and shed included; Some yard maintenance equipment is available in the garage. Fenced yard with additional back lot yard. Currently the exterior of the home is a little rough and needs a little cosmetic work, nothing major, just paint and general stuff. The house had an entire new roof installed December 2005 and new gas heating system installed September 2005.

I really like the ground level. The kitchen / dining space is huge and there is about 5x more cabinet and counter space than what we currently have. I have a dishwasher!!!!!! I also love the idea of the laundry room right off the kitchen ... no more yucky basement!

The main bathroom is off the kitchen and is huge! Not only does it have the typical bath/shower unit, sink and toilet; it has a fully functional four person hot tub in an alcove and a fully non-functional (at the moment) enclosed sauna.

The front living room will be specifically set up just as a daycare/playroom and the adjoining office will be my space. Yes I have my own space! A place for my sewing table, daycare supplies, etc, etc. The TV and furniture will be in the larger living room with the wood stove.

Oh, and Chuck has his own space, too. He's claimed the garage, LOL, big surprise.

The outside is nice, too, especially for being in the heart of the city. There is a fully fenced deck and yard right off the slider door in the kitchen. This section of the yard has great thick green grass, but no shade. We will be opening the fence to include the back half of the yard. There there is a great shade tree, but not the greatest grass. Its more typical of an area that has been played on, dug in, and rode all over by kiddos and all that comes with them. It needs some work but, hey I got kiddos, too, so that's where all the sandbox, bikes, truck ,etc. etc. etc. can go.

Upstairs is a little weird. The landing at the top of the stairs is the size of a nursery, complete with a small closet and a window that lets a lot of light in. Unfortunately it is not an enclosed space as all the bedrooms are off of it. The front bedroom is the one Chuck and I will take. We need the space, we have big furniture.

The middle room will be Charlie's (maybe Aydan's, too). It's about the same size as the one he has now but there is not very much light. It also has a full size wall mural of a wooded stream scene which I'm not fond of, although Charlie seemed to like it. I may try to see how hard it is to remove it or paint the room or, who knows, we'll see. The back bedroom (master bedroom) is nice and bright but with the eaves and the built in drawers I think it will just be a little to small for us. It has a private, but small, full bathroom. Hopefully we'll get Jenn to take that room for her and Tessa. Its plenty big enough for them.

The driveway is long, narrow, and sort of straight with a small incline. So, yes we still have a driveway with a hill, but nothing as obnoxious as what we have here in Hooksett. After this past winter here and the amount of snow we had, we're so happy that we'll have an easier driveway next year.

Well that's it for now. I need to start thinking (have to start somewhere) about how and where and with what to start the purge and pack fun.

Argh! Its Pirate Week

We've left the circus behind along with the movie Dumbo, our clown hats, clown puppets, circus trains, tents, and books. We're heading for the high seas and some great pirate adventures.

Saturday I picked up lots of new books with pirate stories, the DVD Dora's Pirate Adventure, and the VHS Madeline and the Pirates. We have many crafts planned staring with the pirate hats we made today. Hopefully we wont have any scurvy pirates that will have to walk the plank ;-)

She was beautiful!

What a beautiful doe! Yes, I just saw the most beautiful doe in the backyard. She wasn't very large, actually kind of on the small side but she had a gorgeous golden brown coat.



Yes, I live in NH but where I live is a very busy area and my yard is set on a steep hill as well. Its not the type of grassy area you would see a deer. It was such a surprise.



I wonder if possibly she was hunkered down there on the hill in the brush all afternoon because while outside with the kids I kept hearing rather loud rustling in the brush. We do have some very annoying squirrels and chipmunks that live here and they do make some noise, but not nearly the amount.

Friday Update

It was a really good first week with the new daycare kiddos. I was actually anticipating a much rougher adjustment then what really happened. Maybe that's why it seemed like such a good week.

Austin and Justin were very accepting of the routines a rules of the house. By Wednesday most of the kinks were worked out and everyone was playing well. Charlie has connected with Justin and they spend a lot of time playing together. Austin sometimes finds it a little difficult because I think he is used to playing and controlling the play with Justin but he's handling it. Even when Tessa was here things went smoothly.

We were able to work on Flag Day activities the 1st half of the week and then Father's Day cards and gifts on Thursday and Friday.

Because everyone adjusted so well I think we will be able to start themed curriculum sooner than planned.

Hazy, Hot and Humid ... Ugh!

Its so darn hot out today. A 4 day heat wave this early in the season is hard to handle. A person needs to gradually adjust to the climbing temperatures, sheesh.



Since it was going to be so hot today, the boys and I were out and already in the pool by 8:30. I knew I wasn't going to be taking them out in the afternoon so we played a good long time out there ... until 11:30.



Its naptime now and the house is peaceful. After nap we'll work on som Flag Day projects and try and take it easy in the AC.



Another good day. Tomorrow we welcome Tessa back and throw her into the mix of things, hopefully the rules and routines we've been working with Justin and Austin will stick. Guess we'll see.

Welcome Austin & Justin

The boys are here and Charlie couldn't be happier. Austin and Justin started daycare today.

Austin (3 1/2) has had a terrible time at his old sitters but has had a GREAT day here today. I was expecting to see some of the rough to handle behavior that I saw when Mom first came to visit (tantrums, screaming, hitting, out of control energy) but it lasted all of 1 minute while Mom was telling him he couldn't play outside until later. Together we got him inside and he immediately calmed down after I explained that we needed to wait until Mom left and we changed into bathing suit. He set off to play in the housekeeping area and was fine. Justin (2 1/2) came right in this morning and set off to play with the trains and had no problem starting our day.

Around 9:00 we cleaned up, hit the bathroom and changed into bathing suits. My plan for today was to just tucker them out and set up the boundaries and routine they needed to learn and hopefully they will nap after lunch, something they haven't been able to get the boys to do. We brought out snack and juice and played in the water and yard until 10:45.

All three boys got along great. Austin was very well behaved and when he did take toys or the likes, he readily handed them back when told to, apologized and waited his turn. Not a tantrum in sight. Justin definately tried to push the limits, testing what would be allowed or not. He did have to sit for a "time out" after not listening 1 too many times but seemed better after that. Just a typical 2 yr old behavior. Charlie shared his toys very well, as usual, and really enjoyed having friends to play in the pool with.

I herded 3 wet and muddy boys to the porch, stripped them, dried them, and sent them into the house. I think the AC shocked all their little bodies, they were very giggly. We all did the "potty" thing, got dressed and played cars.

During lunch, I established the sleeping arrangements for the boys so they would know the drill....Charlie upstairs in his bed, Austin on the couch, and Justin on the cot. Everybody seemed agreeable to the plan.

After they were each done eating and washed up, both Austin and Justin went directly to where they were to sleep and settled in. It was GREAT! So all three are sleeping, I've enjoyed a peaceful lunch and have had time to sit and relax here at the computer...and I was expecting a rough day.

Summer Curriculum Themes

I've stared working on and putting together plans for the daycare/Charlie's curriculum. We'll be working within themes to learn the basics. To start with, for the summer our themes will be camping, the ocean, and pirates. The new boys start daycare next week and the first week will definately be a time of adjustment. Routines, expectations, and rules will be worked on and one day we'll make a Father's Day gift for their Dad. We'll hopefully be able to get into some of the fun ideas planed in our themes the following week.

Tessa & Jenn

Jenn called at 8:20am asking if I could go and pick up Tessa because Meagan had a 9:30 Dr appt. and Mims was supposed to watch Tessa. Mims was suppose to be there for 6:00am to take Tessa for the day.

Jenn said he called at 7:15 and woke her up and said he was on his way. Because Jenn was already late for work, she said she didn't press the issue. Apparently Meagan called Jenn at work around 8:15 saying Mims still wasn't there and not answering any texts or phone calls. After Jenn tried to reach him to no avail, that was when she called me.

After talking with Chuck, we agreed I should pick up Tessa. I left by 8:35am. While driving there, I saw Meagan walking with Isaah. I pulled over and asked where Tessa was and she said Mims showed up and will bring her down to the car. I pulled up across the street from the apartment and beeped. After waiting, and beeping, for 15 minutes I left.

I drove to Jenn's work and went in to speak with her. I told her what happened, that no one came to the car and that Mims was there with Tessa. I just wanted to know whether I still needed to take her or was Mims going to keep her. She was very angry, stated that "Mims was going to end up in jail by the end of the day if he keeps it up". I asked her to meet me out in the back of the parking lot so she could call Mims and decided what was the deal.

After speaking with Mims, she said he would come out with Tessa when I got there. Charlie and I drove back over to Jenn's, parked across the street and beeped. Mims came out with Tessa shortly after.

Tessa --- she had no coat, socks or shoes, blankets, binky, or a diaper bag. She was holding a 1/2 bottle that she was in the middle of.
Mims --- looked like either he was just crying, sleeping, extremely mad or stoned. He said nothing, handed me Tessa and just stood there.

I asked him if he had the diaper bag and he went to get it while I buckled Tessa into our car seat. Tessa immediately fell asleep for the ride back to our house. We got back to the house about 10:00am.

Tessa was very whiny and clingy and didn't want to be put down. I changed her diaper at 10:30 and it was near explosion level and she had a very bad diaper rash that wasn't there the night before. After the diaper change she just wanted to be held and curled up on my chest. She had peas and squash with rice cereal for lunch and then she ended up going down very easily for a nap by 11:45. I gave her the binky I keep here and Charlie's quilt.

Tessa woke up at 1:00 inconsolably screaming. She basically cried, whimpered, snuggled and dosed and then repeated it all over and over again on my chest until I had to put her down in her chair at 3:00 so I could get Charlie up from nap. She had a pastey poop when I changed her after nap and was still extremely sore from her rash. She has been clingy and whiny right up until Jenn picked her up.

Jen picked her up at 4:15 with a ride from her friend Natasha and was in a hurry. She had no carseat so she took ours. She needed to pick up Aydan, make dinner and then go back to work for 8-10pm. I assume she is having Meagan watch them.

Summer's coming ....

Today Charlie and I dragged the pool out from winter storage and gave it a thorough cleaning. Puddle jumping is a fine art he seems to be mastering very well. Its amazing how far water can splash.

After previously mentioned washing, the pool was filled just high enough to fully cover the drain hole and plug. I wanted to make sure it was in good working order before summer temps arrived this coming weekend.

A 2 yr old boy, ankle deep water, grass & dirt, and water shoes make for lots of fun but a very gross wading pool very quickly LOL

Charlie the Conductor

Charlie is back on the the "potty train" and sitting in the conductor's seat again. Since it's going to be such a nice day today, and there is no other kiddos around, he's going pantless. Except of course when we head outside to play. Wouldn't it be a wonder to have this over and done with before the new crew starts Monday for daycare. One can dream, right?

TGIF ... Just a whine

Its been a busy week. Tuesday I sured up the new family for our daycare. They will be starting June 9th. We filled out the paperwork necessary for the state reimbursement and hopefully the link will be set by then. Tessa has been here day and night since Wednesday morning. I love my little pudgy girl but I'm tired, Charlie is tired and Tessa, too is tired.

Jenn is supposed to be all moved into the new apt she's sharing with Megan by this afternoon and then she should be coming by to pick Tessa up. Normally it wouldn't be so bad with a 10mth old, but she really has no set routine or sleep schedule so she's unpredictable at night. Which means I've been finding myself sleeping very lightly .... actually spending most of the night in that in between state when your still awake enough to hear what's going on and be aware that your in that state, and almost far enough asleep that your eyes don't open. I can't wait to go to bed tonight and sleep deeply.

Of course, my little friend will be back tomorrow and Sunday because Jenn has to work. I probably could ask that she have her stay home with Megan one of the days, but I hate the thought of her not getting outside or having any play time that isn't confined to a pack & play :-/

Just a whine

Weekend update

Saturday ---
Its been a busy long-weekend, but a really good one. Saturday was spent relaxing at my sister-in-laws house. After the 2hr ride down there (of course Charlie didn't nap) we thought it might be a short visit due to Charlie getting cranky/tired. Boy were we wrong.

We arrived just before noon. Both of Chuck's sisters were there working on food prep and we joined right in. Charlie kept himself busy playing with the toys that are kept there for the other kids to play with. Somewhere around 1:00 our niece showed up with her almost 4 yr old son Ryan. Charlie loves playing with Ryan and even though we only get together every 4-6 weeks he talks about Ryan, and Kyra the other 4 yr old "cousin", all the time.

The day was spent BBQ'ing, and letting the boys play together. Later, closer to 5:00 Kira showed up withe her Dad and Ryan's Dad showed up, too. The grill was once again fired up and dinner was remarkably similar to dinner ;-) but just as tasty. After PJ's and good-bye kisses, we finally left MA around 9:00 pm for the long ride home. Charlie was great, especially for a young man who normally takes a 1 1/2-3 hr nap and didn't get any nap at all.

Of course on the ride home we needed to stop at the 24hr Walmart super center to pick up coffee, cream, milk and other breakfast needs because we were all out and at 7:00 am Aydan and Tessa were coming over because Jenn needed to work at 8:00.

Sunday ---
The kids arrived as expected, full of all kinds of energy and ready to play, and we here were exhausted from the busy day prior and not getting home until 11:45pm. After a breakfast of pancakes and sausages for all, we headed outside to play. Right around 8:15am, I had an appt show up for a prospective daycare family.

They, too, were full of all kinds of energy. She's a single mom of 4 boys ages 7, 6, 3 1/2, and 2 1/2. Just the younger 2 will be in my care fulltime. There will be occassional times ie. holidays, snow days, and vacations that I'll watch the older 2. So as I said, the family showed up at 8:15 ... hence the reason we were already outside ... and they all clambered out. Let's see, Tyler (7), Dylan (6) and Aydan played great although the unexpected surprise of "big kids" to play with got Aydan a little over excited at 1st but a few reminders and he was good to go. Austin (3) will be a handful but I think after a few weeks he'll settle in to a calmer groove. He definately has some developmental delays (speech and behavior) that need to be addressed. The Mom has already taken the 1st steps in that direction. She has set up a therapist that will be doing some evaluations on him. I can see that he'll be looking at a spec ed preschool for sure. Then there is Justin (2), and he's just a few months older than Charlie, with and much quieter disposition, too. When things got a little crazy at times, he sort of seperated himself from the others and watched quietly from a distance until things quieted down again ... very much like Charlie tends to do. I can see them becoming friends.

Mom seemed very interested in switching to here for daycare and on Monday night confirmed the plan.

Monday ---
Memorial Day was a peaceful day here. Only Tessa came while Jenn worked. We relaxed, food shopped, played outside and in the evening we built a campfire in the firepit and relaxed some more. It was a nice end to a busy weekend.

Jenn ... again

Well, it looks like Jenn and her crew got an apartment. It was right down to the wire. So much so that we had her here for dinner last night to talk about what will happen if the 30th gets here and they had nothing.

Its a 4 bdr in probably the worst part of Manchester ... as she put it, its in "cracksville". They will be tenants on a week to week basis so if they can find something else she says they will be able to move.

Of course, reality is that once you move yourself, your 2 kids, your pregnant friend and her child, actually moving again will hold little interest.

Camping ... Relay style

This past weekend we had our first camping trip. Chuck had the Relay for Life this weekend and it meant we would be there Friday-Sunday. We bought a new tent and its nice and large. It comfortably fit the queen-size air mattress we bought, Charlie's cot, all our clothes, Charlie's toys, and even a heater on Saturday night and still there was room to move around. It also has a small attached screen porch area that we really liked.

Friday it started misting and drizzling in the afternoon. With all the time it takes to get the stage area and gear up and running, we didn't get to the tent until about 5:30. Luckily it sets up pretty quickly. We didn't have an official campsite, we were just set up behind the stage ... the advantage being we got to have electricity fed from the stage to our area :-)

Since the Relay wasn't to start until Saturday morning, everyone was to be off the fairgrounds by 7:00 Fri night ... that is everyone but us. We had permission to stay overnight. We went out for pizza at the local shop to warm up from being in the rain all day and returned to an eerily empty fairgrounds. All the gates were suppose to be locked, but they latched but didn't lock the service gate so we could come and go as needed.By 9:00 I had Charlie bundled up in 2 pairs of PJ's and snuggled up on his cot under 2 heavy fleece blankets. He went to sleep pretty quickly, fresh air (even damp) does wonders. Chuck and I sat out in the screened porch area and just listened to the rain. That night it rained pretty constant and the wind was whipping pretty good, too. The temp dropped to the low forties IT WAS SO COLD but surprisingly we survived.

I got up to start the day around 5:00 and got the coffee going. Did I mention we had electricity, yeah! We started the fire pit, enjoyed coffee and bagels (cooked on the grill) and then the rest of the staff and crew started arriving. The sun came out and it ended up being a great, although windy, first day of Relay.

For the 2nd night, someone brought us a portable heater to keep plugged in in the tent. It made such a difference that Charlie didn't feel the need to stayed curled up in a ball under his blanket. Somewhere around 3:30 am he decided to climb onto the bed with us. So sweet, yes, but that meant Mom, me, got pushed nearly off the air mattress and barely had any quilt covering her. Also, since Charlie was dressed, again, in double "feetie" PJ's, he had no interest in being under any blankets so he kept kicking off what was barely covering him and consequently me.

This year was Charlie's 3rd Relay, even though he's not quite 2 1/2. Everybody there knows him and marvels at how much he grows when they see him ... which is only about twice a year. He really enjoyed himself this year. He spent time walking the track, getting pony rides, dancing the "electric slide" and even took the Sunday morning kick box - cardio class LOL. Of course the latter 2 were his attempts at such, but they were good. He loved sitting in the "jeep" aka staff golf cart when ever he got a chance and everyone was lovin' giving him just that chance.

One very memorable moment happen quite quietly. During set up on Friday afternoon, Charlie was playing with the drum set that was stashed, until needed, in the side area of the stage. He was contently tapping the drums and the cymbals here and there. All of a sudden it seemed he got a little quiet (easy to notice when a 2 yr old stops hitting drums and cymbals). I look over at him and call to Chuck to take a look. There was Charlie standing close to the end of one of the cymbal stands, which to him must have looked like a "Charlie-size" microphone on a mike stand, singing into it like a pro. It was the cutest thing! He was completely in his own world, singing without a care. Its a picture I will never forget.


The rest of Relay went great and officially wrapped up at 11:00 am with a total fund-raising amount of + $740,000!! We didn't get to leave until about 4:00 when everything was taken down and loaded back onto the truck. It was a long, tiring weekend but also, as always, a "feel good" weekend.

Sending a shout out to http://scribbit.blogspot.com/ and her June Write Away contest.

Its been a busy time ....

Its been a busy time. Both Heather and Amby are home from college, Jenn is in scramble mode for a new apt, Andrea has been MIA (but that's normal for her, she's been working) and we just returned from our camping trip. I'm actively looking to fill the 2 spots available in the daycare now, too. More on all of the above, soon.

Errr, Jenn ....

Jenn is at it again, at least that's what Chuck thinks. He finally called her on it 2 nights ago and suddenly, she can't get Tessa here for daycare, doesn't know if she can keep her job, might lose her apartment, etc. etc. etc.

Jenn admitted that the reason she's looking for a new apartment to share with her friend is that she needs to come up with some money toward her past rent (another eviction notice) or give a 30 day notice to them ... and this is public housing! How she plans to afford non-public housing is beyond me. M, her friend, doesn't work and just sits at home receiving assistance as well. They're looking for a 4 bedroom because between them there is already 3 kids with a 4th on the way from M. She says with the tax rebate that she's getting she's trying to decide whether it should go toward a new place, or a vehicle so she can get to work to keep a roof over her head ... Errr!

Stuttering .....

Truckkkk, outsideddd, housessss and so it goes. Charlie has been stuttering so much lately its unbelievable. Of course, being his very original self, his stutter is at the end of his words, LOLLLL. At least it makes it easier to wait out what he's saying ;-)

Better luck next time .....

Well, Charlie is better off in Pull-ups. I have learned, that with all his recent cognitive/language growth, the physical growth has taken a rest, which is very normal. The results being, he WANTS to wear "big boy" pants, does run in to go when he feels a lrg urge to go, goes almost always when asked to go .... but still pees almost constantly in small amounts all day long. Which means he's emotionally and mentally ready to be potty trained but physically doesn't have the bladder control yet to not have accidents all day. Having wet pants was getting him upset.

So we're going back to pull-ups so he can still go potty all the time when he needs to but not have wet pants and be all upset all the time. For now, we'll watch for the change when Charlie starts to show signs of new motor skills growth and hope that he can then learn to control his bladder ..... and maybe give our heads a rest from the constant questions, talking, singing, reading and counting that he's doing now LOL.

Day 1 down ... bring on tomorrow

Its 8:00 pm and Charlie is sleeping. Whew! What a long day. Charlie did pretty well wearing underwear for the 1st time. After a few reminders and being taken to the potty to try, twice before naptime he ran to the bathroom by himself to use the potty!!! After lunch I put on "bedtime pants" aka pull-ups and almost immediately he pooped while getting settled in bed for nap. He never poops in bed, well not since he was a baby, so I know he now knows he can hold it ... even if it is for a diaper for now.



After nap he had 2 more accidents, 1 because he was outside and 1 mainly I think because he was just tired by the end of the day. After his bath he got into "bedtime pants" again before his jammies.



We spent sometime cleaning and organizing the clothes in his closet. I have clothes all the way up to size 5T waiting to be grown into from my niece's son. Then he wanted to look at the picture album on his shelf. So we stopped what we were doing, curled up on the bed and went through the photos. We never got to the bedtime story as he was getting sleepy so we called it a night.



He was a little weepy going to bed probably because Daddy left this afternoon for the weekend and wasn't here to tuck him in ... that's his gig. He has become quite the Daddy's Boy recently.



Well back to the clothes spread all over my bed that still need sorting out :-/

Big boy pants !!!!

Today starts the big "potty" weekend. Charlie has been using the potty very regularly but also wets in his pull-ups. Since Chuck is going away for the weekend, we went out last night to do a few last minute errands. One of those errands was picking out "big boy" pants with Charlie. He picked out Elmo ones with sports themes on them all. Mom also picked up the Gerber extra think padded ones that were on clearance.

With no other distractions planned or errands to do I wanted to start with the big boy pants this weekend. Once up, Charlie and I talked about no more diapers and then he picked out the soccer underwear to wear. He has had 1 accident so far and used the potty 3 times .... and its only 9:40 am. Its going to be a long day but we'll survive LOL

Wish me/him luck.

Aydan's therapy

Aydan had his 1st in house behavior therapy session Wed night at his house. Jenn said it went well and that the therapist appears to be a pretty even mix of "all around good guy", and a real hard-a**.

Together they created a behavior chart for Aydan and if he has 3 out of 5 good days he will bring a Matchbox for him. The therapist is also going to be working intensely with Jenn and her parenting skills.

He will be meeting with them every Monday, sometimes at home with them all there and sometimes one on one with Aydan at his daycare. Hopefully things will improve for them, and I say them because other than with Jenn, whether at home or not, Aydan's behavior is not so bad.

What's the differences .......

Charlie seems to have a new fascination with gender labels. I guess it comes with the whole potty scene. He is constantly labeling who is a boy and who is a girl, he's just over 2 so its really cute. Amazingly he seems to get it right most of the time.

So. I ask, what is it that makes him able to see the difference between girls and boys. Yes he is always joining Dad or I in the bathroom, but we've never had the "Daddy has a p***s, Charlie has one, too" or the "No, Mommy doesn't have one" conversations. Heck, I don't even think it has anything to do with that.

In our house, both Dad and Mom cook, clean, etc. Charlie has both many cars and trucks, as well as a kitchen set and baby doll. Even when it comes to his cousins, or babies, he seems accurate more often than not. It makes me wonder what he sees while he's noticing differences.

Just thinking ......

Jenn is going to be the death of me. She is letting Tessa sleep with her, or on her, or in the car, basically anywhere except making her sleep in her crib. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get Tessa to take naps here during the day. The poor thing is exhausted, too. I understand the difficulties of being a single Mom and needing to get her sleep, but it will only hinder Tessa and herself in the long run.

Tomorrow Jenn has the 1st in-house therapy appt for Aydan after daycare/work. It will be interesting to see what comes of it. Aydan's behavior issues are definitely the worst when he's with Jenn, that is why the therapist told her most of his therapy will be at her home with her at 1st.

Chuck and I are both afraid of what may come of the home visits. Jenn does not keep house in any way, shape, or form. We will not even allow Charlie over there because of the mess and what we feel are safety issues. Our fear is that the therapist is going to want to remove Aydan (and Tessa) from the apartment. Aydan's father would take him in immediately, we are sure, but that leaves Tessa. If this happens, I'm sure the care of Tessa will fall on us. Jenn is completely blind to this and there seems to be no way to get her to see it, although we've tried.

As Chuck says, Jenn's world is starting to spiral downward rather quickly and she is in too deep to see it.
*sigh*

So this is Charlie

He turned 2 in February and he hasn't stopped jabbering since. From the moment he rises until the moment he goes to sleep he is always talking or singing. He's goofy, smart and quite a charmer.

Its been sooo many years since his sisters were that little that I have forgotten all the simple and amazing discoveries that happen when you're 2.

Today he came up to me all in a fluster and excited to show me the lines in his palms. Yep, that's what I said, palms. We then compared my palms to his and traced the lines and creases in our palms. That's just one little example. There are so many moments like this in our days, days filled with new discoveries and adventures.

So everyone, raise a palm, and cheer for the simple things in life.

Welcome to my world

I've had a blog for my daycare but thought I'd start one here just for me. Here I can share my trials and tribulations of raising a 2 yr old boy after reaching that point in a mom's life when she thought she'd be able to take a break. Silly me.

I have 2 girls, Heather (21) and a Jr at Westfield State Univ, and Amberlyn (19) a Fr at Point Park Univ. I also have Charlie (2) a toddler always underfoot ;-) Added to that mix is step-daughters Andrea (25), Jenn (23) and her two kids Aydan (5) and Tessa (9mths). My DH, Chuck, and I wouldn't give up any of them for the peace and quiet of .....

up-coming retirement we thought we would have, LOL.