Starting to Post

With so much happening with our family all the time, and life as busy as it is. I figured that this would be a way for family and friends to stay connected to us more regularly. I will try and add things big and small regularly, but my priority will be taking care of and teaching my kids and trying my best to keep the house in order - so if you don't see something for a while, just know more is coming and that Life has gotten busy!

Since it is already JULY I want to put up some of the main things that have happened this year first.

Isabelle's First Birthday!
Isabelle is getting bigger and bigger. She now has 5 teeth in (she was the latest to start getting them!) and has a big personality! Miss Belle is a happy toddler, but rarely smiles. You can tell she is a big thinker! She will think, watch, think, and then DO! She is starting to talk up a storm saying new words and phrases all the time. Of course she is chasing after big sister and brother and trying to do the things that they do. She LOVES fruit, actually most every food, and is falling in line with the other two with the I am ALWAYS hungry thing. She is starting to use a spoon to feed herself, and is starting to communicate what she wants or needs. When she is tired she will come over to me and lay her head on my lap. Most of the time during the day she is sleeping the port-a-crib still, but most evenings she is in "the girls' room" and she is sleeping through the night most nights! As I did with the others, I love this age! She is learning and growing so fast and I just love to see her discover all those new things. I am so grateful that I am able to stay home with and teach my children!

Katherine had First Communion
What a special thing for our big girl! Grandma and Grandpa Schaefer and the Day's were there with us (and helping with Joseph and Isabelle - THANK YOU!). This is such a special event in her life. Katherine is maturing so much right now and is becoming a very big helper. Of course there are days where we have struggles - she is only 7 after all!

Katherine has 2 subjects left to finish up for 2nd Grade (Math and Phonics) and then she is moving on to 3rd! She will be studying Religion, Math, Reading (starting Chapter Books!), Grammar, Spelling, Countries (I think we are studying about 25-30 different countries throughout the next year), Astronomy and Botany, Latin, Sewing. She is most looking forward to the last 3, especially sewing! She got her own little (battery-powered) sewing machine and can't wait to be able to use it.

Joseph...
Would not want to leave him out! Joseph is being "Joseph." He is almost done with potty-training. Although we have some rough days, most days he is just in diapers at bedtime now! With the heat he is struggling a bit more as he has too much energy and gets too wild when it is time for Isabelle to take a nap.

We are trying to teach him to tell us more when he NEEDS to release the energy instead of just going crazy (and driving everyone else crazy in the process!). He is starting to color very well and is excited that he will be starting pre-school soon and is starting to do "school time" when Katherine does in the mornings.

If Joseph is not moving or eating - he is asleep! He plays hard, eats a lot, and crashes...

I am working part time from home, stilling running the produce buying group, and trying to find a better balance with work, play, homeschooling, household chores, and everything else! We are getting things more organized and trying some new things I am learning about. More about that later today...