No Halloween Baby!!!

Today I had my 36 week OB appointment. Everything looks great. We discussed my history of fast deliveries, and my OB said he will induce me at 39 weeks if I haven't delivered by then. YEAH!!! So that means I have an end date--Oct. 22nd or thereabouts. He is doubtful that I'll even make it that far, but either way, that means in 3 weeks (or less) I'll have a little baby. I am so ready to be done with pregnancy and move forward with this transition in our lives. I can't wait to see what she looks like! I can't wait to hold her!

Now if only we could come up with a name for her....

Grown up

Daddy: L, go to bed.
L: Why do I have to go to bed? I'm older than A and R!
D: Yes, but you're still a little girl.
L (defiantly): That's what everyone says, but it's NOT TRUE - I'm almost a grown-up!

Homeschooling

We began formally homeschooling L last January after she turned five. She was ready for so much more than preschool could offer, and her birthday fell such that she missed the deadline to start Kindergarten. G and I had some reservations about our local school, and so we decided (at least for now) to homeschool.

I don't think I fit into the mold of your typical homeschooler. I tend to see both sides of the coin when it comes to education. I can see many pluses and minuses to homeschooling, and the same goes for public schools. I had a very positive experience in public school, for the most part. I made great friends and I have a lot of fun memories. The most common concern raised with homeschooling is the "S" word...socialization. :) I have to admit that I have my concerns as well. But the question is whether that concern is large enough for me to ignore all of my other concerns with public school. Right now, the answer is no.

I have really had a fun time homeschooling this past year. I never envisioned myself doing this, and so I was pretty intimidated to start. I have a good friend in my ward who has helped me a lot. But mostly I just had to dive in to see what I was getting myself into. I'm surprised at how rewarding it is to teach L...to watch her grasp a new concept...or read a book that I never thought she could. It is amazing to watch her grow...and I love it! And I feel like I'm learning right along with her. It's just really fun!

The one drawback I have seen so far is that I RARELY get a break. I know most parents look forward to sending their kids off to school so they can have some quiet time to get things done. That doesn't exist with homeschooling. Grocery shopping, housecleaning, etc take place with ALL the kids...which can be very trying at times. There have definitely been moments when I've wanted to ship Liberty off to school in order to have some peace and quiet. But for now, it's doable and we're surviving. :)

As for socialization, I'm doing my best to keep her actively socializing with other kids. Aside from primary each week, we go to a weekly playgroup. We try to have play dates as often as possible (but this is more complicated during the school year when her friends go to public school). She is also involved in gymnastics. After the baby comes, she'll start ballet. We skipped soccer this year because of my pregnancy, but she wants to do it next year. I have to admit that as I watch my friends literally go crazy driving their kids to and from school, and then off to extra-curricular stuff, all the while trying to squeeze in homework and everything else, that I find myself grateful for the route I have chosen. Our days are relaxed for the most part and we seem to have more time. I'm really excited about how things are going. :)

Happy Birthday A

Today my little A is 4 years old. I can hardly believe it!

Some things I love about A:

1. She is so generous. She shares very willingly with her sisters. She even offered to give half of her birthday money to L. :)

2. She has the cutest giggle.

3. She bounces everywhere. From the time she could walk she has been running and jumping!

4. She has such a likable personality. She's just a sweetheart.

5. She is ALWAYS in dress-up clothes. I should never have bought 3T summer clothes. Every day she wears a ballet leotard, her swimsuit, or her gymnastics outfit.

Here are some pictures of her as she has grown over the years.

Happy Birthday A!!! I love you!

Love, Mommy

Motherhood

My brother recently sent me this movie trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810025319/video/15003090

I'm not sure if I'll like the movie or not. There are some things that look pretty realistic, and of course some things that are extreme. That's Hollywood for you. But the trailer got me thinking...

Before I was a stay-at-home mom, I worked for 5 years as a social worker with handicapped infants and toddlers. The job was very demanding, emotionally draining, and extremely rewarding. I was busy, busy, busy...or so I thought.

Staying at home with my first daughter was an adjustment, but I never desired to return to my old job. She was an easy baby--slept a lot, generally happy, etc. A couple of years later, we added daughter #2. That's when life as a stay-at-home mom began to change. Then daughter #3 came along, and now in a few months--daughter #4! I had NO IDEA how much work would be involved in having a family. I had NO IDEA how much chaos would ensue at my house. I had NO IDEA how exhausted I would be.

But I also had NO IDEA how much joy would come from watching my children learn and grow. It is truly the greatest blessing in my life! I now have an immense respect for women who are able and choose to stay at home with their children. For some it has required great sacrifice of material things, but it is all worth it (I recognize that some women really want to stay at home and cannot. If that is you, please do not be offended by this post).

I've been thinking about all of the jobs that are entailed in being an at-home mom. Here is the list I've come up with:

1. Teacher

2. Chef

3. Housekeeper

4. Taxi Driver

5. Psychologist

6. Nanny/Babysitter

7. Financial planner/Accountant

8. Child Development Specialist

That's a pretty extensive list, don't you think? Do you have anything to add? :)

On top of being ALL of those things (all at once, I might add), you also have to do it on very little sleep, 24 hours a day, with essentially no vacation time. There are no weekends, no summer breaks...NADA! And let's not forget that our husbands need some of our time and energy as well.

So to all of those stay-at-home moms out there, I just want to say, "You're AWESOME!"

The reason we have so many girls

click on this link: here.

Venice Beach

We just came back from a R Family Reunion down in Venice Beach. It was a blast! We stayed in an awesome house right on the beach. L and A thought the ocean was the best thing ever! G spent a lot of time body surfing. And R...well, she didn't like the beach too much. She hated touching the sand and water; G and I had to take shifts with her at the beach house. But it didn't really matter. We had a GREAT time!

L, A, cousin D, cousin E, and The Muscle Man (Uncle C)

A, Aunt C, cousin D and L jumping over the waves.

L agreed to be buried in the sand! Haha!

A and L posing on the beach. I LOVE this picture!

Our family

L, A, cousin D, Uncle G, cousin E, and G sporting bubble beards in the hot tub.

Playing on the beach

A building a sand castle

Our view from the house/balcony. It was awesome!

Thanks G and G for an awesome family vacation. We had a great time!!!