WFMW!

Wow that holiday really screwed me up I forgot it is already Wednesday! Ok here is my tip for the week and although it is not new and probably already been posted in this blogroll before it is worth posting again. :) CD players, portable that is. Are great for my kids! yes I know everyone right now is saying "hello we are in the ipod generation now" but until I have one I am certainly not springing for my kids to get one lol. Truthfully that is my long term goal but I because they are younger I am test starting them out on cd players. I got them for 14 bucks each at a local store so they are affordable and if the kids break them then I have not wasted too much money. Plus they come with headphones and not those silly ear buds which never seem to stay in. But my point being this helps keep them in bed at night, quiet in the car (whatever you know what I mean..the endless super important questions such as "why does that cow look cross eyed?") and it is also really good for Trix with his sensory issues. He tends to make a droaning on noise like a long boring humming noise when he is trying to block out other noise and reset his senses. It sounds like he is playing with cars and making one continuous vroom noise. He can keep it up forever. He is also a fan of listening to the same cd over and over and over and over again. This way he can do that within reason and only on a cd approved by mom and dad of course, and he has stopped doing that other noise so much. It is also wonderful because we try out new cd's from the library for FREE all the time and the kids get exposed to different kinds of music, also can I just say one other word? Books on CD 'nough said! Those are great! As soon as the kids show me they can take good care of their cd players then I will probably go for the ipod because the one thing that is frustrating is reminding them all to put their cds back. I am thinking of doing my own cd library similar to the dvd library I did last week and making them check them out ! lol :) Works for me!
Don't forget to visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer for more great tips!

http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/

The Cheerio Queen

weight loss challenge

Ok so this week I did work out faithfully but was not so faithful with the calories. I did fine until the weekend and it was hubs last long weekend before he goes back to work at his new job. by the way thanks again for all who prayed for us and I know it was a lot of you. :) Anyway so I fell off the calorie wagon this weekend and again refused to weigh myself because of two reasons, one I have an extra visitor this week (ewww tmi I know)and two I just was not in the mood to hear the scale laugh at me today when I stepped on, nor did I want to hear it shout "what are you kidding me? BWAHHHAHAAA" So I skipped it. I know my pants are a little more snug this week and I only have myself to blame for that. But as they once said at a WW meeting "you did not get fat in one day" so your not going to take it off in one day either. I will however say I totally enjoyed the breakfast buffet brunch that we took my Grandma too on Saturday it is a seafood brunch at a 4 star restaurant that we go to maybe once a year. We had a blast and the italian jewish guy that cooked the pasta for me (which in itself blew my whole calorie counting thing) was so funny...just to listen to that guy talk he was hilarious and he makes a killer pasta out of white whine and pesto sauce. I am not doing weight watchers but if I was I bet that pasta dish blew about 4 weeks of points right there lol. I will however say the one thing I did do right this week and weekend was I drank a lot of water instead of pop. I am proud of myself for that because I *HATE* water. I would rather drink something else anyday it is too plain for me but I am forcing myself to drink it anyway. In fact we took the kids to see Shrek III this weekend and I did NOT order popcorn or candy and when I did get something to drink it was water. I didn't even complain when the water bottle I bought was $4.75! But oh well. I also today am feeling gross and yucky because I did not watch the calories or sugars I had this weekend and now my body is paying for it...okay lesson learned. :) I know we all fall off the wagon it is how you handle falling off that counts though. :)

I have been reading a book called eat healthy, stay healthy for kids. I am slowly tinkering with the kids diet especially Trix's with his sensory issues. The main reason is I am working with different foods to see if I can help some of his meltdowns a bit and see what else I can do . I also want our whole family together to get healthy. Even though I have joined this weight loss challenge I really want to focus more on eating and staying healthy. A wakeup call for me as to my attitude towards it is when recently my 8 year old daughter asked me if I thought she had gained weight or if she looked slim or fat in her pants. Please the kid is a stick. ok maybe not a stick but she is thin and built a lot like I was at that age. I also do not weight myself in front of her because she saw me get on the scales once and then for two weeks she obsessively got on the scales and fretted if she was one pound heavier. I always tell her " Honey Nut your perfectly healthy and weight exactly what you should for your age". So I think the key to my own weight loss is going to be more about everyone getting healthy and staying healthy rather then "losing weight". The weight will come off eventually. That is part of the reason I keep putting off my step on the scale, however I will get on the scale next week. So far I have been using the "do my pants fit method" Hey did you know that when you put on your pants your not supposed to huff and puff like a smoker who just ran a block? (no offense to smokers by the way) We just got one of those water coolers for the house and the kids love it and so do I...they are more likely going to go to that nifty thing that puts out water, then beg mom for a juice box or milk even. I am slowly cutting out sugar from their diets albeight slowly because they will go into cardiac arrest if I do it all at once and the plan will fail. :) I read that book because the author is a public school principal who worried when she got into her new school and realized how many overweight kids there was and how many discipline problems she had to deal with before 10am every day. She made her school a sugar free school and even got the bus drivers and parents to help at home etc. within a month she noticed a huge percentage drop in discipline issues, higher test scores, and happier kids. Who by the way she realized really did not care about the no sugar treats at class parties. They wanted their parents to come spend the day with them on their bday rather then bring in a bunch of suagry cupcakes etc. Pretty amazing isn't it? Ok well this "quick post" turned into a novel. Good luck to all who are particpating in the mayday challenge this week. and CONGRATS to those who have lost. I love to post on everyones blog but I don't have time. :)

The Cheerio Queen!

Why do I love homeschooling?

Good Morning! I was going to post yesterday but got busy when our trip to "just the library" also turned out to be a trip to the outlet store for summer sandals for two of the kids. :) Then I stopped by a "curriculum garage sale" from a retired teacher and picked up a few things.

Anyway, I am often asked by some people why I chose to homeschool and do I really like it?
The answer for the latter question is NO I do not really like it...I LOVE IT!

Let me back up a bit as to why we chose to homeschool. actually to be very truthful "I" chose to homeschool and spent a year convincing hubs it was a good idea. I had some help from the local public school two of our kids were in although they did not realize it. When I first heard about homeschooling it was through a parenting book called Creative Correction written by Lisa Whelchel aka Blair from The facts of life on tv. Lisa herself is a homeschooler and while I loved her book Creative Correction I found myself really intrigued about the fact she homeschooled her kids. Imagine my surprise as to the fact she also happened to have written a book on homeschooling! So I raced down to the library and checked it out. The way she wrote it was to interview 15 homeschooling families and started off the first chapter telling about her own, then she dedicated each chapter after that to the families she interviewed and let them tell their story in their way. By the way if your thinking about homeschooling this is a genious way to write a book and read it. There is so many different ways to homeschool and no one real "right" way. It is all about what is best for you and your family. I immediately brought up the idea to Hubs which he immediately shot down. Ok I figured I had a few years before the kids were even in school anyway. At Kindergarten time for Honey Nut Hubs was still insisting she attend public school so I thought ok fine. She did pretty well for kindergarten but I was secretly disappointed in it. For one thing around our district the kids are supposed to have a PHD by the time they finish Kindergarten and if they don't "measure up" then they are labled as being behind and need summer school, which they want US to pay for. So we did the summerschool thing for a month that is how long it is...but it is for the bargain price of 320.00. :) pathetic. anyway then she went into 1st grade and trix went into the special education preschool program which happens to be held at the same school Honey Nut was going to. this was a new school to them because we moved (same district different boundary line) and also my mother in law who lived with us had just passed away so there was a lot of changes in store. Honey Nut did not handle them that well. Trix did ok till spring when his sensory issues kicked into high gear. Without going into detail becasue it would make this post about 14 pages long, I will say that the school they changed to was "not the right school for us" The principal had some good ideas but did not want to handle any kids that required actual work, or had any issues, and she was backed up by the dean of students . Together their solution to everything was to "send the kids home". Ok great! I missed my kids anyway and it just reinforced my desire to homeschool much more. The way they chose to "dismiss" any issues also made a clear point to Hubs. So in a funny way I should thank them because if it weren't for the fact that they handled things the way they did I may not have convinced hubs to agree to try. lol It was not an easy decision though. Even though in my heart I was convinced it was the right choice, I was in a word T-E-R-R-I-F-I-E-D. What if it was the wrong decision? What if I was screwing up my kids education? Well what choice did I have I was getting calls from the school almost daily so I completely quit answering the phone lol. Oh and did I mention that the principal when she found out I was pulling my kids out to homeschool called me to "warn" me that this is a "very big decision and a lot of work" that I need to really be careful with my children that this could not be a good move for them. oh yeah I just woke up one day and said hum dee dee I think I will homeschool. :) lol I laughed at her and told her that at least at "my school" they won't be labeled problem kids when they actually werent.

We started. Here is some of the things I have witnessed since we started homeschooling.
1. Honey Nut is a lot happier and is finally understanding the work the school was ready to pass her on in order to put her onto the next more difficult subject fully knowing that she did not understand what was already being taught.
2. She enjoys schoolwork now and loves that she can work on something until she is finished and not because the bell rings.
3. My children are much closer now.
4. Honey Nut is starting to really enjoy reading and has a newfound love for it. A subject she used to hate.
5. Trix has a lot less issues with his sensory skills because he is getting the one on one time he needs and I am able to work around his sensory processing issues now that I know what works for him and what does not. He has made HUGE strides!
6. Trix speech is so much better since I have been working with him to the point even my dad who was not thrilled with my decision even mentioned he has noticed a big change in Trix and his communication. I don't need his approval of course but it is nice to know he noticed something we have worked so hard on.
7. Lucky Charms is and has always been very advanced and I knew that if I put him in a public school that unless he was fortunate enough to get a teacher who could make sure she had extra stuff to do for him when he gets through assignments so fast...he would be getting into trouble.
8. My children have learned more about real life as well...I mean the day to day running of a house, they all are able to fold and correctly put away their own laundry at 8,6,and 4.5 years old.
9. We have gone on fun field trips, started up a new hobby called letterboxing, Honey Nut now loves to scrapbook with me and is making one of her work for this year.
10. The best thing I have witnessed is the kids working together instead of fighting all the time. Honey Nut sat down and read to her siblings and the daycare kids the other day without being asked. My favorite thing is when I see them working together in the backyard to build a fort, or play a game.
Well for such a "big decision" I think I did pretty well. Since Hubs was laid off he was actually able to see what we do during the day and he has quit asking me "are you tired of this yet do you want to put them back in school next year?" I think he is a tough one to crack and although I think he is still working on being completely convinced I do believe he has seen the benefits and is a lot softer on the subject now. :) He is really excited when the kids come running up to him to show him one of the things they just completed. For instance Honey Nut just finished her math book, ok so she is at the end of her 2nd grade year and that was the end of the first grade mathbook (it comes in two books) but that is ok because she actually understands it better because she had no idea what she was doing at the beginning of the year with it. we are doing this year round and she is already sailing through the next level and she is not being made to feel bad about it. It actually took me awhile to re teach her the stuff the school glossed over, and made sure she really understood it. now that she does her confidence is much higher, she says she feels smart now. :)
let me make a small disclaimer here. I am not against public schools, in fact I know there are some good ones out there, the one my kids were in was not good, every story I have heard this year from parents going through the same troubles justifies my decision even more, and the school they were in was just not right for OUR family. In fact it is a elementary school in a district that is top in the state. However I am very pro homeschooling, but I know it is not right for everyone it is right for me. :) I love being the one who witnesses it when my kids "get it" in a assignment, or when they are excited about learning about butterflies etc.
Ok this turned into a really really really long post and I need to start the days assignments so I will talk with you all later. I hope everyone has a great long weekend!

The cheerio Queen

wfmw

So this tip I came up with the other day and it has worked WONDERS! I am sure all you moms can relate to the issue of kids getting into the dvd's and either, the dvd's get scratched, lost, or are all over the place because they are not put back properly. We worked really hard with our children to get them to not touch the dvd's however because of the type of shelf we had they would pull out the dvd cases and decide what they wanted to watch, or they would be prone to sometimes trying to pick a movie and put it in on their own. But the real irritation was that the dvd cases were not getting put back right and the shelf always looked messy. So I came up with the idea to get one of those leather bound cd "book" holders that you keep cd's in your car in. So I sent Hubs out to get one. He came back with the case you see above. Not exactly what I had in mind, however I loved it when I found out it has a LOCK! We put all our movies in it by type. i.e. kids movies, comedy, chick flicks, sci fi etc. Then we also made an inventory list on the computer. We wrote numbers on the outside of the pages the cd's are in with a sharpie as to not mark up the cd. When we did the inventory list we put the corresponding numbers to the plastic sleeve page. When the kids want to watch a movie we break out the list and they choose one. Then we flip to that number and whala there is the movie. The best part is no more finger prints on the movies, or scratches etc. It also allows us to control how much they are watching. Even cooler we have a dvd player in the car and so we can just get the case and bring it with us on long trips! So no more mess! Works for me! don't forget to click on the link and check out more cool wfmw ideas!

Ciao!http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/

The Cheerio Queen

May Day challenge

Good Morning everyone! I still have not weighed in because like I said last week I always wait at least two weeks before I get on the scale as the first two weeks of any diet are tough for me. I will say however that I am doing good in the working out dept. I have been going tice a week to my water exercise classes (those are the only days in my schedule to get there I would actually like to go 3 days a week) and in between trying to get out in the yard with the kids more. Although this week has been rainy. In any case I told the kids this weekend I would try and go swimming with them to get in that third day. After I get more used to my workout routine again then I will try and add in two days of walking in between those water exercise classes and the day of swimming with the kids. My goal is to at least have some sort of workout 5 days a week. As for eating I am doing better on portion control. I usually have a slimfast for breakfast, and then either a frozen diet dinner for lunch or something I made for lunch but on one of the kids plates. I try and do that at dinner too. my husband thinks I am nuts. lol I want to go on nutrisystem but it is so pricey. I mainly wanted to do nutrisystem to get the initial weight off and then go back to portion control but we will see. :) Either way I know I am losing a little bit of weight because my clothes fit better. My arms don't feel as flabby either. :) I can also wear my pants without them cutting off the circulation in my waist. Oh the little things we call bliss! oh yeah and here is another thing I have done to help myself...I hate water...I do I don't know why I just don't like it ..it is plain and boring to me. so I finally broke down and got some crystal light. they have lots of flavors and I am still getting my water. For me the lemonade, raspberry ice, and strawberry banana are my fav flavors so far.

Hope everyone else is doing great! Have a great week...I will be busy today as Honey Nut has a girlscout meeting tonight and it gets over half an hour before water exercise, I have to literally drop her off in the driveway and get back over to the pool for my workout! I know if I miss one class it just sets me off. Can't wait to see how everyone else is doing! :) Don't forget to check out everyon else's stories at: http://talesfromthescales.net/

The Cheerio Queen

Monday Meme...

What Your Favorite Color Pink Says About You:

Blissful --- Content --- RomanticIdealistic --- Expressive --- ArtisticFunny --- Quirky --- Individualistic

http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourfavoritecolorsayaboutyouquiz/">What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

For me this is right on. I am most of these things. I am told I am creative, energetic, compassionate, loving, maternal, content, happy, always try to see the good side of situations, naive, and very optomistic. :)

Here is the meme: oh and I tag whoever wants to do it. I don't like to tag specific people because some like it and some don't. :) If you do the meme please send me a comment and let me know you did it so I can read your answers....I am also nosey lol. Have a happy productive Monday!

You Can Only Type One Word
Not as easy as you might think.
1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend? hot husband!

3. your hair?blonde

4. Your mother? close

5. Your father? grandpa

6. Your favorite thing? family

7. Your dream last night?none

8. Your favorite drink?crystal light

9.Your dream car?1960 corvette

10. The room you're in?family room

11. Your ex? who cares.

12. Your fear? snakes

14. Where were u last night?home

15. What you're not?liar

16. Muffins?blueberry

17. One of your wish list items? suburban

18. Where you grew up? at home

19. The last thing you did? dishes

20. What are you wearing? sweats

21. Your TV? on

22. Your pet or pets? cat

23. Your computer? fast

24. Your life? happy

25. Your mood? good

26.Missing someone?yes

27. blog? Yes!

28. Your car? minivan

29. Your work? family ceo/daycare owner

30. Like someone?yes

31. Chocolate? favorite!

32. Your favorite color? pink

33. When is the last time you laughed? today

Sunday Musings...

Happy Sunday everyone! Of course I am happy..the picture above is what I was doing yesterday! My mom and I went for a "day at the spa" together. We were supposed to do it Mother's Day weekend but they were full so that is ok. we both had gift certifcates so we went together it was in a word AWESOME. Although so I would not feel guilty while indulging in a day there while Hubs was child wrangling...ooops I mean watching the kids lol ...I did deep clean the kitchen.
Honey Nut went with her brownie troop on a horseback trail ride trip that the girls earned after selling so many girlscout cookies this year...they even had enough left over for boots for all the girls...let me tell you I have not gotten Honeynut out of her pink cowgirl boots since she got them.
In any case my mom and I spent a wonderful day at the spa and then afterwards we went out to lunch. I was a little bewildered to find myself coloring on a napkin with a pen because I am so used to helping someone color at resteraunts lol, but otherwise it was a blast! I mean afterall we had massages, facials, manicure, and pedicures. I was so relaxed and in such a good mood when I got home that Hubs is actually considering loosening his wallet a little to make this more then a once in a ten year thing.
I went to sleep at a reasonable time too...thought I would get a good nights sleep..wrong. Trix had the sniffles yesterday and it turned into a full blown cold overnight and Honey Nut was up awake till 4am this morning because she was also stuffy, and not to be outdone Lucky Charms is also stuffy this morning. Of course when I got up at 4am with the other kids I gave them some childrens cherry nyquil so they could breathe and in my sleepwalking did not think about the fact that they were in MY bed when I gave it to them and it is RED and they hate it, and Trix refused to close his mouth after it all went in and he drooled all the medicine out on my sheets and right through to my mattress! So I had to go grab some oxyclean and make a mixture to scrub it out of my mattress before it became permanent. I don't know if you all know or not but it is very hard to put a mattress in the washing machine. go figure.
The kids are missing Sunday School today which upsets them but we promised if they are feeling a little better by afternoon we might still go get them the new sandals they have been begging for. it is an outdoor mall. We were planning on taking them to visit Grandpa and Nana but decided that unlike other family members who shall remain nameless...we don't want to take sick kids or kids with a virus over there and get them sick. It is just rude. I wish the daycare parents I care for would remember that too when they bring their sick kids to daycare lol. So all in all it is a good weekend. I hope you all are having a great weekend. :)

The Cheerio Queen