Our Decision to Homeschool

When we had finally came to the decision to homeschool, I was beyond excited!!!  I couldn't wait to tell everyone about the new journey our family was going to make together.  Then I remembered what some of my friends and other parents who homeschool had told me... people will judge you and not accept your choice to homeschool.  My excitement started to die.  Now I have to deal with unwanted opinions... but who cares?  Not me!!  I am so happy that I am given the opportunity to teach my child one on one and he will be able to get the education that he deserves.

Landon started kindergarten in September.  We do not "dislike" his school and we love his teacher, we just didn't think he was getting what he should.  He was doing half-days (2.5 hours a day) and he was coming home worse off then when I put him on the bus... he was regressing and started having a bad attitude.  Landon loves school and learning, so when he would get off the bus and say he had a "boring" day and that they didn't really do anything, a red flag went up.

I talked to his teacher about the time he is there and how hard it must be for her to teach.  She opened up to me and told me how difficult it is for the half-day kindergartner teachers to "teach" when they have to get the same amount of curriculum in as the full-day K classes.  She said she pretty much just teaches them what they need to pass the standardize testing at the end of the year... there is not too much time for extra subjects.

Well, this just isn't acceptable for our child... we have higher expectations for him and his education.  So, we decided we are going to take it into our own hands and give him our all.  I bought the multi-subject curriculum from Sonlight and I am so impressed!!  He is now going to be studying Geography, Science, Language Arts, Math, History, Reading and Bible Study... everyday!!

I am starting him this Thursday and I have been busy setting up his "classroom."  He is so excited and asks me a million times a day when we can start school at home :-)

Oh and as far as socialization, he will get PLENTY of it!!  I have him in Sunday school, basketball, Library time and we plan to join some homeschool co-ops in our area.  Plus, if anyone knows Landon and I, you know that we will have no problem socializing ;-) LOL

Landon opening his box of curriculum from Sonlight.com

Easy Chili- My Hubby's Favorite!!

Tonight I made my chili... it is so easy to make and it is my husbands favorite meal!!  It is pretty much a dump and cook type of dinner :-)

I use Bush's Reduced Sodium Black & Pinto Beans- you can add
another can of either for a heavier bean chili 

Use 28oz Petite Diced Tomato, 28oz Crushed Tomato &
Two 16oz Tomato Sauce

McCormick 30% Less Sodium Chili Mix

Ground/Cook-Up Jennie-O Lean Turkey- Whole Package 

Dump everything in your Crock-Pot
Cook on Low for 6-8 Hours or
High 3-4 Hours

4 Hours Later!!!  Finish with Reduced Fat Cheese
and Light Sour Cream... Enjoy!! :-)

8 Year Anniversary!!

My hubby and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary yesterday!!  We watched our wedding video with the boys and it was so fun and emotional!!  We look so young (both 22) and it was neat to see all the people who were at our wedding.

Then, last night, my in-laws watched the boys so we could go out to dinner.  We had a fabulous time at the Edinburgh Golf Club... we love their Chicken Cobb Salad and we had Apple Crisp for dessert!!  So nice to have quiet time and be able to talk without children interrupting us every two seconds!! lol

Brady bought me some very beautiful flowers and I bought him a couple shirts from Banana Republic!  Good times :-)

Our Wedding Day- 9/27/2003

Our Wedding Party

Still got the Lovin ;-) - Last weekend at a wedding 

Beautiful flowers Brady got me!!

Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup- Crock-Pot Style!!

Now that it is getting cold outside, I have been using the crock-pot almost every night for dinner!!  I have been trying a bunch of different recipes and even making my own up :-)

Tonight, I made Pork Chops with carrots, red potatoes and cream of mushroom soup... turned out FABULOUS and even my 2 year old ate it!!

Lightly spray crock-pot with cooking spray-
Cut red potatoes in half or in fours and add bag of baby carrots to pot

Add pork chops on top off veggies
I used thin sliced center cut chops

Add two cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
I used 98% Fat Free

Spread Cream of Mushroom soup over chops

Set on low for 6-8 hours

After 6 Hours- YUM!

Dinner is SERVED!!  :-)

Time to Purge Mr. Facebook

I have been thinking about purging my Facebook friends account for awhile now.  Not that I do not like seeing a wide variety of people from my past on there and what they are doing, just that about 3/4 of my FB friends have never had any contact with me on the site... then I just figure what is the point of them being on there?

I read a friends blog last night about them saying they were going to do the same and it has motivated me to do it.

It is not my goal to have a million friends that know everything about me and my family... I am also going to be better about who I accept as a friend.

I always thought it was attention seeking to post about defriending, but now that I am about to do it, I felt letting people know why (not that I expect them to care) makes me feel better :-)

Pita Chips, Cheese and Grilled Chicken for Dinner

I LOVE pita chips!!  I eat them plain, with hummus or avocado.  Tonight I wanted to try something different with the pita chips, so I spread them out on a baking sheet, sprinkled them with mexican flavored cheese and added grilled chicken on top.  Then, I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 min.

It came out AWESOME!!  We dipped it in avocado and salsa.

My husband and I thought adding the salsa on the top before we baked it might add a little bit more flavoring and make it not so dry. . . next time we will try that.  Otherwise, it makes a great light dinner or appetizer :-)