The Smith's on the Range

Our countdown has begun!

2009-08-25T15:58:00.002-05:00

We will be leaving for Disney World in 30 days! We have made a chain link out of paper with tons of Disney characters on them! Each day we will cut one link off to give Brayden an idea of when we will be leaving. This will be his first trip to WDW! Actually this will be both of my kids 1st plane trip also! I have had so much fun planning this trip...my OCD has gone wild! I have made shirts for the kids plus I have made a couple of shirts for Hank and I since it will be our Anniversary that week also! I am so ready to leave now!!!

Some deals...

2009-08-25T15:30:00.003-05:00

So much for me blogging on a daily basis. We have been so busy!

I have to say this week I have gotten a lot of great deals at Kroger with their Mega Sale. When you buy 10 certain items they credit your bill $5. On top of that most of the items had coupons that I used. I was able to buy 30 items and got $15 off not counting the coupons taken off. When you look at your receipt it will state how much you have saved. Usually mine says anywhere from 10 to 20%, but this week it said 44%!!!

Here is an example of what I go::

Cereal (6 boxes) $1.99 sale price - $.50 (Mega Sale discount)= $8.94- $4 off in coupons= $4.94

That is $.82 a box!

Here are some other bargains I got today:

Office Max: 3 pack of filler paper $.20 each

Total $.65 with tax

Office Depot: Scientific Calculator $6.99

2- 5 pk Sharpie markers $4.49 each

5- 2 pocket folders FREE

Out of Pocket: $15.97 - 15.97 mail in rebates= Everything FREE!!!

On another note, this morning I took the kids along with one of Ashton's friends to Jones Orchard to pick some more peaches and pears. I hope to post pics tomorrow.

Now off to get kids ready for soccer and softball practice...Ugh! We never stop running!

Yard of the Month

2009-08-21T17:00:00.004-05:00

Yard of the Month

2009-08-19T20:45:00.002-05:00

I came home this afternoon to find another sign in my yard. I honestly had to take a double take. My Homeowner's Association selected my house for "Yard of the Month." Here are some pics. My grass actually needs to be cut and my front bushes need to be trimmed. I have lived here over 11 years and this is the first time we have gotten this award. The sign looks real good next to my For Sale sign! Maybe this will help me sell my house!

2009-08-18T10:38:00.002-05:00

Lately, Brayden has been dressing up in his costumes I got him last year when they all went on sale after Halloween. I got them dirt cheap. He loves his Army costume that has the big muscles. Instead of getting dressed for the day, he goes and gets it on. Here is a pic of him doing some puzzles during school time.

I went to check on Ashton while she was doing her school work. She hates getting her pic taken. I usually try to sneak up on her, but she is so fast! What am I going to do with that girl!

Happy Birthday, Hank!

2009-08-17T10:22:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we have been celebrating Hank's 34th Birthday. I literally mean all weekend! He deserves it, though! Friday night we went to the Melting Pot with some old friends, Richard and Johnna. I wish I had taken pictures. The food was delicious!

Then Saturday we went out to eat with my sister, Kim and her boyfriend, Sam. Here are some pics we took in the car. Afterwards we went to see the movie, The Goods. (No comment on the movie, he definitely earned it's "R" rating.)

Then Sunday after church we celebrated his actual birthday at my mom's. We had grilled steak, squash casserole (by Hand's request), baked potatoes, lima beans, and rolls. Yum!! We ended it with Hank blowing candles out on top of his carrot cake! Happy birthday, Hank! This is to many more years of celebrating your birthday together! We love you!!!

Just a relaxing Wednesday for us...

2009-08-12T14:14:00.004-05:00

This morning we played outside before it got too hot. I got out the camera and played around. (Yes, we like to play outside in our pj's!lol!)

Brayden playing with his sand/water table.

I was taking pictures of flowers and turned around to see Brayden sitting relaxed in his tractor driving with one of his feet. Crazy boy!

All of my crepe myrtle trees are blooming!

When it started to warm up outside, we decided to pull out the playdoh.

Ashton joined in the fun!

Happy Birthday, Mamaw!

2009-08-11T09:27:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to my precious grandmother who is celebrating her 88th birthday today! We love you!

Girls Only Eat Soup!

2009-08-10T14:13:00.002-05:00

Our Current Book List:

Hank:

Be Rich (Study of Ephesians): Gaining the Things That Money Can't Buy

by Waren W. Wiersbe

Christy:

The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children

by Sally Clarkson

Ashton:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by J.K. Rowling

Brayden:

Lots of different preschool books

Today we were sitting at the table together eating lunch. We made grilled cheese sandwichs with chicken noodle soup. Brayden said he didn't want any soup. I always try to make him try everything once. I asked him why and his response was "Girls only eat soup!" Brayden is always coming up with excuses for not trying different types of food. Ashton and I just giggled. This was definitely a new one!

My Rite-Aid Deals

2009-08-07T11:05:00.007-05:00

This summer I have been so lazy when it comes to buying grocery and household items. I stopped using coupons and searching for all the free deals. One of the main reasons was Walgreens stopped their rebates. It was so easy to find a Walgreens and then claim the rebates online. I would really get some great deals! I was really disappointed that they stopped the program. Then Rite-Aid really didn't have great deals this summer, so I just stopped it all together.

I have heard rumors lately that Walgreens is going to start their rebate program back in September. I have my fingers crossed.

I noticed in this Sunday's paper Rite-Aid had some free rebates items on their front page. The only thing with Rite-Aid is that if you don't go early Sunday morning, everything is will be gone. They only have a small quanity. Of course this week, I did not make it to the store until Wednesday and I didn't find one item that was free. Well, today I was in the area of another Rite-Aid store and checked it out. I was able to find 2 items!

Renu Multi-purpose (2 pack) contact solution $9.99

Garnier Fructis Conditioner $2.99

Coupon: Garnier Fructis -$1.00

Out of Pocket Expense: $11.98

Rebates:

Contact solution $9.99

conditioner $2.00

Total: $11.99

Profit: $0.01

The busy schedule has begun...

2009-08-06T21:32:00.003-05:00

Our August calendar is filling up fast! With Ashton playing 2 sports this fall and Brayden playing one, I think we are going to have practice every day of the week. Hank is going back to school this semester, taking 2 courses, plus he is leading a men's bible study at our church. Now he is debating on coaching a middle school football team for a private school. With us all running around going from practice to practice, we are also trying to sell our house. Do we need anymore stress? Life is just going by so fast! I was hoping this school year would be slow and enjoyable.

Lately, I have been attending a Zumba class 2 times a week. I have really enjoyed it! I just hope with all this running around I still have time to fit it in! I need to lose all this baby weight. (Can I still call it baby weight if my baby just turned 4? lol!)

I just got back from working out...off to take a shower and hit the hay. Another busy day tomorrow!

Christmas Carol Train Tour

2009-08-05T12:20:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we took our 1st field trip of the year. Disney is promoting their new movie coming out in November, "A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carrey. The train began in LA, California traveling across the US which holds a museum inside. The kids and I were so excited that my parents took a half day off of work to join us! We had to wait in line for about 2 hours to finally board the train. It was a very HOT day, but we had lots of fun!

Brayden looking at the models.

Mom, Dad, Ashton and Brayden

Ashton and I sweating to death as we waited in line!

You can see Central Station behind mom, Ashton, and Dad.

1st day of school!!! (2009-2010)

2009-08-04T10:07:00.005-05:00

Brayden was so excited about starting school today!

Ashton was pretending she was excited about school! I had to remind her at least she doesn't have to get up at 5am to catch a bus at 6am! She smiled for me then!

We started off sharpening his new Transformer pencils. He has the funniest expressions!

We did a little writing, but I knew he would not have much interest. He at least tried for a few minutes writing an "A" and tracing some straight lines.

Ashton knew where to start in her studies. We already went over everything last week, so she was ready to go! She found a comfy spot on the couch and went to work!

We then worked on some motor skills. He was playing with rice, practicing on filling different types of cups and bowls with out overfilling or spilling. He definitely liked this game! (His face is orange from eating spaghetti for lunch!)

I hope to have some great pictures tomorrow. We are visiting the Christmas Carol Train Tour downtown! More to come!

Christy

Menu Plan for the Week

2009-08-02T06:00:00.003-05:00

Monday: Cube Steak over white rice, bacon ranch green beans

Tuesday: Grilled Brown sugar pork chops, sweet potatoes, grilled asparagus

Wednesday: BBQ Chicken, twice baked potatoes, honey glazed carrots

Thursday: Cheesy Ham Hashbrown casserole, english peas

Friday: Loaded Potato Soup, Broccoli cheese cornbread

Saturday: Leftover

Sunday: Luncheon at church

New School Year is about to BEGIN!!!

2009-08-01T13:46:00.006-05:00

This coming Monday is going to be the first day of school at Smith Academy(our homeschool name). The past couple of weeks I have been planning and organizing, just not homeschool stuff but household stuff also. I have my menus planned for the next couple of weeks, routine printed out, school lesson plans for the next 2 months, etc. It is a lot of work, but I love the organization part of it. (OCD!!!) I have a 3-ring binder with 10 pocket dividers that is full of everything important to keep this household organized! You should see it!

I have several goals that I hope to accomplish this school year with my kids. Ashton will be entering the 8th grade and Brayden will be starting Preschool. This might be the last year to homeschool Ashton depending if we move into a better school district. I have really enjoyed having my sweet daughter home with me for the past 2 years. I plan to homeschool Brayden all the way through middle school and then we will figure what we plan to do about high school. I want to give my kids the decision to go to public school or homeschool during high school. I feel like they will have a strong Bibical foundation and shine like a light into this secular world. Of course if I made the choice I would want them to homeschool all the way through. I have really enjoyed the experiences and joy of watching my kids learn.

We have changed curriculum for Ashton. We used Bob Jones, but I feel like it has been boring and not challenging for her. So, I have done my research and this is what we are using:

Algebra I- Teaching Textbooks

Physical Science- Apologia w/a co-op lab

Bible-SOS (Switched on Schoolhouse)

History-SOS

Language Arts- SOS

Ashton is a very fast learner and speed reader(definitely gets that from her dad). She is very strong in Math, so she completed Pre-Algebra in 7th grade and plans to get high school credit for Algebra she takes this year. For science, I am glad we changed to Apologia which is a Bible based curriculum. She will be doing the experiments with a co-op that we signed up with. They will be doing weekly labs and are required to keep a journal recording their data. This will also carry over as a high school credit. I hope I made a good decision on using SOS for her other 3 courses. It is a computer-based curriculum which is really neat. I will be posting in a couple of weeks how it is working out. One goal I have for her to get her ready for high school and college is to work on a research project. We will start at the basics of note taking, summarizing, and gradually work towards researching and getting our ideas together and put down on paper. Please pray for both of us during this since this is not something Ashton nor I like to do. I feel like it will be very beneficial for her in the end though.

For extra-curricular activities, Ashton has decided to play softball for MHEA (Memphis-based Homeschool Education Association). Their season begins in January, but they have already starting practicing 3 days a week plus about 3 tournaments are scheduled before the season starts. On top of that, she will be playing soccer for a church team.

Brayden is a totally different than Ashton. He learns different than her. I have been reading books from the library trying to learn how to teach him the best. He is a kinesthetic learner. That is when a person learns not by visual or audial, but hands on learning. He does not sit still for very long. He is not into coloring, writing. He rather go play outside all day if he could. He is a very active little boy! He keeps me on my toes. I did not buy a particular curriculum for him. I have found several books that have tons of ideas how to teach kinesthetic learners. Mostly games and hands-on projects to work on together. I plan to start the school year on his motor skills and gradually work him to want to write. Luckily, Ashton's work will be mostly independent work and I will have more time to work with Brayden. I have also decided to put Brayden into a local Preschool for 2 half days a week. This will give Ashton and I time to work on things that she needs help on such as her research project.

I hope to blog more this school year so I can look back and see what we have accomplished through out the year. I will be documenting our learning experiences, field trips and tons of photos of us having fun!

Be sure to check back! Monday I will let you know how our 1st day of 8th grade and preschool went! Until then...

Christy

Free 3 month Pink Palace Membership

2009-05-03T21:02:00.001-05:00

Pink Palace is offering their free membership again.

This time you get to print out a membership card.
http://www.memphismuseums.org/trial-membership/

Great Day at Walgreens!

2009-01-07T13:13:00.004-06:00

I bought the following from Walgreens for $1.60:

1 Garnier Fructis shampoo (sale $2.99)
1 Garnier Fructis conditioner (sale $2.99)
1 Garnier Fructis hairspray (sale $2.99)
1 Garnier Fructis curling spritz (sale $2.99)
2 Hershey Reese Whips ($1.59)
Electrasol Tabs 20 ct ($3.49)
Softsoap 7.5 oz ($2.79)
Total $19.83 + tax $1.61= $21.44

Coupons
-$4.00 ($1 Garnier Frutis MQ x 4)
-$8.00 ($2 eSaver Walgreens coupon x 4)
-$1.00 (Hershey candybar MQ)
-$0.59 (Walgreens coupon Hershey candybar)
-$2.50 (Electrasol MQ )
-$1.80 (Walgreens Softsoap coupon)
-$0.35 (Softsoap MQ)
Total $18.24

Out of Pocket= $3.20
- Mail in Rebate $1.50 + $0.15 (It will be refunded on Gift card + 10%)
Grand Total= $1.60!!!!!

It feels so good to save money!

2008-12-22T12:48:00.001-06:00

Homecoming!

2008-12-17T12:43:00.002-06:00

Stephen is coming home today! His plane lands at 2:30pm! Praise the Lord! Ashton and I made a poster to welcome him home! We missed him sooooooo much! More pics to come soon!

Ginger Snaps and Snickerdoodles

2008-12-16T16:11:00.004-06:00

The kids and I baked cookies today to give away as gifts. They had a lot of fun. We made ginger snaps, snickerdoodles and rice krispie treats with sprinkles. Tomorrow Ashton and I will be making lemon chess bars and divinity while Brayden is at Mother's Day Out. I love when the house smells likes cookies!!!

Visit with Santa

2008-12-14T17:27:00.003-06:00

We went to the Brooks Museum to see Santa. This is the 4th year we have gone to the Light Festival to get our pictures taken. Brayden was so excited to see Santa! Ashton asked me if she had to get her picture taken and I said, "As long as you live under my roof, you will get your picture taken with Santa every year!"

Here are some pics in front of our tree before we left.

Ashton took a picture of us as we were in line waiting to see Santa.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-12T09:57:00.001-06:00

Praying for our kids...

2008-11-08T08:45:00.002-06:00

Click on picture... seven ways to pray for our kids during seven events of the day.

Need a laugh?

2008-11-05T17:47:00.002-06:00

I am so glad the election is over! I was so sick of getting phone calls, seeing tv ads, and watching the news about the election. Watch this video for some good clean laughing fun! This is Mercy Me singing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvUkPF9SQcM

Kim's Birthday Celebration!

2008-10-31T10:57:00.001-05:00

We went out to eat to celebrate Kim's 24th birthday! Here are some pics!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Soccer Saturday

2008-10-25T15:28:00.005-05:00

Our Halloween tradition...

2008-10-18T21:54:00.001-05:00

Carving our pumpkin!

Fall Football Fun!

2008-10-18T21:45:00.000-05:00

Ames Plantation

2008-10-18T20:41:00.010-05:00

I am so behind in posting pics from last week. To my surprise, my sister asked me why I haven't blogged this week. It made me feel great that my family is reading my blog.

Last weekend we went to Grand Valley to spend the night at my grandparents' house. They were happy to see their great-grand kids. I wished they lived closer so we could see them more often.

The next morning we got up and visited the Heritage Festival at Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, TN. The kids had so much fun! When we parked, we came up to a booth to pay and then took a ride on a school bus to get to the plantation. I think this was the highlight of Brayden's day. This was his first time to ride the "big cheese."

Once we got off the bus, we were greeted by ladies dressed in outfits from the Civil War era. They had a lot of tents demonstrating how things were done back then.

The first tent we came to was selling homemade ice cream. Who could pass that up? They made using a John Deer engine.

We saw everything from handmade instruments, milking goats, making yarn using a spinning wheel and how to make homemade lye soap. It was very educational and fun!

As we were going from booth to booth, Brayden spotted a big tractor pulling a large wagon giving people rides around the plantation. I thought the bus was the highlight of the day! Here in the picture he climbed on the fence to get a good look at the tractor. After convincing Brayden that we will ride the tractor later, we found an old cabin you could walk through. Some ladies were cooking using cast iron stove. He helped churn butter for them. He loves butter on everything!

They had a small crop where you could pick your own cotton and run it through a cotton gin to separate it from the seeds.

Then we were off to see how brooms were made. We rode a wagon pulled by these beautiful horses.

They had a whole buch of tractors for Brayden to gaze at. In this picture, he is pointing to the one he likes the best. Ashton rushed off to see the horse logging. Ashton and her love for horses! I have to admit it was pretty neat to watch them pull the logs on to the wagons.

They had a Civil War re-enactment of the shooting the cannon. They shot the cannon off every 30 minutes. It was pretty neat to watch. We finally ended our day with riding the tractor that I promised Brayden that we would ride. He was in heaven! (I wish I got a better picture of us on it though!)

New Presidential Candidate... It's someone we know!

2008-10-09T18:09:00.001-05:00

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President... and it's someone we know!

Watch this online video about the surprising new nominee:

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=370617&altf=Upn&altl=Tifmupo

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

Fall is in the air...

2008-10-09T13:49:00.006-05:00

Today I decided to take the kids to Jones Orchard to pick apples and pears. Brayden loves to eat apples, skin and all. Ashton loves to eat pears for an afternoon snack. I thought it would be neat to go pick their own fruit instead of buying store bought. The weather was perfect. Just enough of a breeze to keep you cool. We picked Arkansas Black Apples and Keiffer Pears. Ashton and I decided to make this a family tradition to do every year since we had so much fun. I got some great photos of the kids in action.

Now what do you want me to do? Brayden looks like he is a little confused.

Ashton caught Brayden eating another apple!

Ashton teaching Brayden how to pick a good apple.

Arkansas Black Apple

Keiffer Pear

Ashton liked to climb the pear trees to find the big ones!

Learning the Alphabet Song

2008-10-07T21:04:00.005-05:00

Brayden has been trying to learn the alphabet song. He has had no interest into singing until recently. (probably because he can hear now!) Here are 3 attempts trying to get him to sing it while we record.

Maverick's New Home

2008-10-03T15:34:00.003-05:00

We moved Maverick to his new barn yesterday. It is at the same ranch but just a newer, bigger barn. Our tack/feed room is connected to the stall which is great! His stall is twice the size of his previous one plus we have a hay loft. Such a spoiled horse we have!

Brayden playing in the dirt with his car.

I found Ashton hiding in the hay loft reading a book!

My Thursday

2008-10-03T11:27:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was a very busy day for me and the kids. On Thursday's we have storytime at the library which is always fun. We checked out tons of books to keep us busy till next Thursday. Brayden is finally sitting still long enough to read a book together. I can tell his hearing has improved dramatically. It is fun to watch him learn new things.

Then since we are so lucky to live in the city limits, we had to take our car to the car inspection before we could renew our tags. I dread this every year! I brought Ashton some school stuff and Brayden had plenty of books to keep him occupied. I took my camera along to capture these great moments!

After wasting gas while waiting in line for an hour, we went to actually pay for our tags. That didn't too take long. Then we went to grab a bite to eat and drop off Ashton for Scrabble club. While we waited to pick Ashton back up, we found a nearby park to play at.

After all that, I was ready to go home and take a nap!

Being a Volunteer

2008-10-02T14:17:00.003-05:00

I have been meaning to post this, but I just never got around to scanning the Bartlett Newsletter. This summer Ashton volunteered at the library along with one of her friends. She worked 4 hours a week during June and July. The newsletter has an article and picture of her and Kailey at the bottom left column. I am so proud of her! You can click on the picture to enlarge it, so you can read it!

Science

2008-10-01T14:43:00.006-05:00

Since Brayden was at Mother's Day Out, Ashton and I had fun with science today. At the begininng of the school year, we bought a compound microscope to make science more hands on. Today we looked at the different phases of mitosis in an onion root. Can you name the fives phases of mitosis?

More Photos...My College Graduation

2008-09-30T15:22:00.004-05:00

My sister gave me the photos she took of my college graduation that took place over a year ago. I went back to finish up my degree at the University of Memphis in Business Administration. My major was Accounting with a minor in Finance. That was a great feeling to cross that stage as a college graduate. No more school for me!

Old photos

2008-09-30T15:01:00.005-05:00

My sister, Kim, and I have been going through a lot of family photos since my papaw has passed. We have found old love letters and telegrams between my mamaw and papaw. We have a lot of pictures that he took while he was stationed in England, Germany and France during WWII. In the future I hope to scan them and scrapbook them to pass them to my children.

My sister found some photos of family trips we have taken a couple of years ago that I never knew she had. It is fun to see how eveyone has changed in just this short time. We went to a family reunion (my mamaw's side)in Jackson, LA. We got to visit with a lot of family and eat Cajun food (YUM!) These pictures are of us doing some site seeing.

Remembering my Papaw

2008-09-26T08:40:00.004-05:00

I knew this time would be coming soon. My papaw passed away this morning. I am sad, but happy he is no longer suffering. This is so hard losing my first grandparent. I have been so blessed being able to grow up with all four of my grandparents. My kids were blessed knowing their great-granparents. Not many kids are able to know all four. I just hope Brayden remembers Papaw. We named Brayden after him in a sense. Papaw's name is Thomas Howard Shelton, Sr. but his nickname was Jack. (Don't ask how he got that nickname, cause I couldn't really tell you.) We named our son, Jack Brayden after him. I remember telling Papaw that we were naming him after him and he just smiled. Papaw was not a man of many words, but you knew he loved you. When he did speak he always had a funny comeback that made everyone in the room laugh. We will always remember all the great memories we had with him. We love you and miss you, Papaw!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Where's Waldo?

2008-09-25T20:50:00.004-05:00

I mean where's Ashton? Can you find her in the picture? Today was a great day at Smith Academy. We started our morning at the library. Brayden had storytime led by Ms. LeeAnn, who reads the kids books, sings songs, and does a craft. I love to see how Brayden gets so excited when he sings the cute songs and does all the hand motions.

During this time, Ashton gets to look for books to read during the week. I am so proud of her. She reads about 3 books a week not counting her school books. She definitely gets this from her father!

Afterwards, we went to the park for a little recess. Since the weather was so nice, we ended up doing some school while Brayden continued to play on the playground. I suprised Ashton with her school books. Believe it or not, we got alot accomplished for the two hours we were there.

Love Brayden's hair!

Ash

2008-09-18T09:15:00.002-05:00

Ashton's new hair doo! We had to do something with those roots before we have school pictures taken next week. She wanted to go more blonde but I think it turned out more natural with a subtle blonde highlights. Hank wasn't so happy with the price, but his little girl was worth it!

Wordless Wednesday!

2008-09-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Fall is in the air!

2008-09-16T21:49:00.002-05:00

A day with Aunt Kim having fun in the backyard enjoying this great weather!

Letter C

2008-09-15T12:50:00.007-05:00

The Letter of the Week is C! (We stopped school for about 2 weeks with Brayden so we would be on the same schedule as his Mother's Day Out program. They also do the letter of the week.) We made a Caterpillar using an egg carton, a pipe cleaner and some markers, paint, and stickers to decorate with. Brayden's new thing is stickers! He could spend hours peeling stickers and putting them on paper.
Ashton helped with the painting.
Putting on those stickers!

Here is a video.. hope it works!

4-H Pancake Breakfast

2008-09-14T17:59:00.003-05:00

This weekend Ashton helped raise money for our local 4-H group that she is a member of. They sold tickets for an All-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at Applebee's. While having fun with her friends, she helped be a hostess and a waitress.

Serving her dad...

Gran and Popa came and joined us for breakfast.

Ashton and her friend, Lysa.

Soccer Season

2008-09-13T14:32:00.003-05:00

It is that time of year again as we enjoy watching the kids play soccer. Today was Ashton's 1st soccer game of the season. They call themselves the "Highlighters" due to the bright colored uniforms. The girls played hard, but didn't win. 4-2 was the ending score. Before the game started, they warmed up.

Brayden decided to warm-up and run laps with them. Big sister there to help him!
Brayden decided he wanted to be the team mascot as a knight.
She played a good game!

Thankfulness Thursday

2008-09-11T14:30:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it has been 7 years since 9/11. I was working at Union Planters and I just got to work that morning. At my desk I had a TV radio and heard the breaking news. That whole day all of my co-workers stood in front of a TV in a conference room as we saw the towers fall. It just didn't seem real, we were in such shock.
In honor of the firefighters who lost their lives, we baked cookies for our local firestation to let them know how much they meant to us. We thanked them for the service they provide for us and our community.

Tubes in the Ears

2008-09-10T11:40:00.007-05:00

We took Brayden for his 3 year old check-up back in July. The doctor said his speech was not where it ought to be so she suggested a hearing test and speech therapy. We took him to UT Medical Group for his hearing test and he failed both ears. They said he had moderate hearing loss due to fluid in both ears and that it could be corrected with tubes. I was really shocked because he has never had an ear infection. So we scheduled same-day surgery and we were at LeBonheur very early this morning. Everything went smoothly. Here are some photos...

My mom went came along with us... Brayden was happy to have his Gran!

Getting his vitals checked.

We went to the Bunny Room where he got to pick out a toy. He chose a tool set.

Hank and Brayden played with his new toy until they called him back for surgery. He looked so cute in his gown.
This picture is after surgery...he had a hard time trying to wake up.

Schooling Outside, Enjoying the Great Weather!

2008-09-08T12:34:00.004-05:00

One of the great benefits of homeschooling is you can do it anywhere. This morning we did a little math, grammar and Bible sitting under a tree enjoying the great weather God blessed us with today. Grabbed my camera to remember the great moment!

Dreaming of Cars

2008-09-07T12:44:00.003-05:00

Brayden fell asleep watching the movie Cars and this is what he looked like! He had Luigi in his mouth. Zoom! Zoom!

Redbird's Game

2008-08-31T16:49:00.006-05:00

We went to see the Memphis Redbird's play at the AutoZone park last night. This was Brayden's 1st time to see the Redbird's play and I think Ashton's 4th or 5th. Ashton took one of her good friends, Nicole. It was her 1st time to a Redbird's game also.

Brayden kept calling Rocky the Redbird a chicken. He kept asking, "Mom, where's the chicken?" He came out once on a 4-wheeler and he got to touch Rocky's hand.

Brayden loving on Ashton!

Brayden eating popcorn!
We got a good deal on some tickets from our Homeschool group. When I got my tickets, there was a free entry for each ticket we bought to win $50 Redbird bucks. They were to call out the winner in the middle of the 8th inning. Guess who's name we saw come on the jumbo tron!?!? BRAYDEN SMITH!!!!! We took Brayden to the Redbird's store and bought him a shirt, ball cap, and of course a Rocky stuffed animal. (I hope he doesn't think he gets this spoiled everytime we go to a game!)I will have to post a picture of him wearing his new FREE stuff!

Even though the Redbird's lost 7-1, the Smith family had lots of fun!

Animal Planet at Shelby Farms

2008-08-23T18:27:00.007-05:00

Animal Planet was at Shelby Farms this weekend. We took the kids on Saturday. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was overcast with a breeze. It turned out to be a great FREE fun family day! Here are some pics...

B is for Brayden and Bear

2008-08-21T11:38:00.003-05:00

Letter of the week is B! We made a bear out of a (paper) bag that is brown with a bow tie and a letter "B" on his tummy. Lots of B's!

Brayden's 1st day of MDO!

2008-08-20T16:37:00.004-05:00

Today Brayden started his 1st day of Mother's Day Out! Before we walked out the door, I took out my camera to take some pics.. of course he begins to throw a fit! I don't know what I am going to do with that boy! So these are the best pics I could get.. no smiles! We left a little early to get a hair cut before school. I meant to take him earlier this week, but it has been just one of those hectic weeks! The last pic is of his new hair-do. He is mesmerized into "SpongeBob" on the TV as I took this one.

Education

2008-08-19T14:59:00.001-05:00

Funny British TV Comedy about Education

In Peach Heaven

2008-08-18T15:17:00.004-05:00

We got up early this morning and ventured to Jones' Orchard to pick peaches before it got too hot. We went with some friends from church who also homeschool. I got some great pictures of the kids climbing in the trees and picking the peaches. They taste soooo good!

Ashton climbed in the tree to find the big peaches!

I think Brayden thought it was a race... he would grab them off the tree and throw them in the bucket as fast as he could.

Brayden and his friend, Elijah, ready to get more peaches!

Ashton hanging out with her friends in the trees eating the peaches!

Daughter's Passion 4 Horses

2008-08-17T18:26:00.002-05:00

Ashton and I set up a blog for her so she can share her pictures and her thoughts. Be sure to check it out here.

Fun Friday Family Day!

2008-08-17T15:09:00.007-05:00

This past Friday we all got to go to the zoo together. This is my favorite place to take my camera (other than the barn). The butterfly exhibit is my favorite. At the panda exhibit they had these huge lily pads that were in bloom. I was able to take a photo of a bee getting polen from the flower.

Brayden found the Buddha's belly button. He thought that was cool!
The polar bears put on a great show for us as they were wrestling. The one on the left is a male that is 4 years old and the one on the right is a 6 year old female. The male polar bear was huge! The Smith Clan at the zoo enjoying family time together!

Full Moon

2008-08-14T21:59:00.004-05:00

There was a full moon out tonight. I wanted to see if I could get a good picture of it with my camera. What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday- My Cowgirl

2008-08-13T20:53:00.003-05:00

A night out at the barn

2008-08-08T20:04:00.008-05:00

We went to the barn to work Maverick and got some great shots of the kids...

I love the silohouette of Brayden and the one of Ashton with Maverick.

Brayden... His many disguises

2008-08-08T15:15:00.004-05:00

This morning Brayden got his construction hat on (Hank put a MLGW sticker on it so it would look like his!) and took his hammer and said "I work with daddy" and preceded to try to open the door.

Of course he looked so cute, so I had to take a pic. His first reaction is to put that hand up to say "Stop mom". (When he is serious he calls me "mom" instead of moma.) He is such a stinker! You got to love him!

Here is his more studious look. He got my glasses out and put them on.

A is for Airplane!

2008-08-06T11:37:00.009-05:00

The letter of the week is A. We made airplanes using paint and recycled materials around the house. Brayden and I were having so much fun, Ashton was jealous. So we let her join in the fun and rescued her from math!

Last swim of the year...

2008-08-04T19:49:00.004-05:00

We had our last swim at my parents house this weekend before they closed on the sale of their house. It was kind of sad... this is the house I lived in since I was 5 years old. So many memories in that house. Here are some pictures of the kids in the pool playing together.

At the request of me and mom, dad and Hank removed a slab of concrete that my parents' grill sat on. It had me and my brother and sister's feet prints on them. We wanted to keep it and move it to their new house. My uncle Tom helped with the hard task and they achieved the goal! Way to go men! Thanks!

First day of school!

2008-08-04T19:01:00.008-05:00

Today was our first day of school at Smith Academy. Ashton started 7th grade and Brayden started 3K. It was hard getting up out of bed today. We have been lazy this summer sleeping into about 9 or 9:30am. I got the kids up around 8am and cooked a good breakfast to start us off. Here are some pics of them. Ashton was excited about school to start, but I know this will only last about a week or two. Brayden has always hated me taking his picture. Most of the pictures you will notice I get his back. This morning I got his hand telling me to stop. I managed to get him distracted and got one of his face.

We do our school at the kitchen table, Ashton at one end and Brayden at the other end. I got Ashton started on her work and then switched ends to Brayden.

Ashton's school consist of (Bob Jones University Curriculum):

Pre-Algebra
English/Literature
Life Science
Bible (New Testament- Life of Jesus)
World Studies (1100AD to present)

Brayden's school consist of(A to Z Early Child Curriculum):

Letter of the week, counting, art, and life skills

We had a great day of school... we were finished by noon and enjoyed lunch together(sorry fo the blurry pic)!

Thomas the Train Birthday Party

2008-07-26T17:52:00.006-05:00

Today we had a family birthday party for Brayden. He picked the theme, "Thomas the Train." He is such a big boy! He loved all his presents he received. This picture of him blowing out the candles is priceless!
Gran and Popa got him a train table. I think we all have had fun playing with it!
Last night we let him open his gift from us since it was so big. We got him a Little Tikes Water/Sand table (construction theme). It came with a boat, trailer, trucks, crane, etc. We have left it in the house for him to play with it since it so hot outside to enjoy. He likes to play with it even if we haven't put sand and water in it yet.
His cousin Lane got him a "Cars" bicycle helmet and my dad had to try it on. Now I know what I can get him for Christmas. LOL!

Happy Birthday, Brayden!

2008-07-25T08:59:00.007-05:00

My baby boy will be 3 tomorrow! I am so happy and sad! Where did the time go? He is growing so fast! He is my energetic, handsome, fun-loving boy! He has changed so much from when he was born! Here are some milestone pictures...

And many, many, more years of fun to come! I pray that you will grow up to be a strong Christian husband one day! I love you, Brayden!

Summer Fun

2008-07-24T15:18:00.005-05:00

One week left of summer vacation until we get back into the grind of school! Where did the summer go? Ashton relaxing in the pool and Brayden staying cool with a popsicle!

Thursday Thirteen: Blessed

2008-07-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

Thirteen ways how I am blessed...

God's grace... He died for me and then saved me!
I have a husband that loves and supports me (married almost 13 years!).
I am blessed with 2 beautiful children that I adore.
I have a great friends and family that I love.
I have godly parents that love me no matter what!
I have the choice to homeschool my kids (and I am loving it!).
I have the freedom to worship the One and Only God!
God has provided for all my needs.
God has also provided for some of my wants.
I have a roof over my head.
I am able to stay home with my kids.
My husband has a job that provides for all our needs.
God loves me and will never forsake me!

Neopod

2008-07-22T13:29:00.004-05:00

My brother is one those Apple Geeks (still love ya little bro!) that has to have the newest Mac gadget. Yes, he has the Mac computer, laptop, ipod, iphone, (am I leaving anything out?)etc. Well I am proud to annouce I beat him to the Neopod for the blog. I can hear him now... it is not made by Apple... blah...blah...blah...it looks like it though. It is pretty cool.. it keeps track of all you stats on your blog!

My Walgreens Deal of the Week

2008-07-20T14:54:00.005-05:00

I went to Walgreens before church this morning to get my great deals! I got all this for $9.82!

Transaction #1
· Walgreens Training Pants $5.99 x 3= $17.97 - $7.50 (coupon from
Easy Saver) = $10.47+$1.66(tax) = $12.13

Paid $12.13 and received $5RR for next transaction.

Transaction #2
· Pilot G2 Gel Ink Pen $1- $1 rebate= FREE
· Crayola Washable Markers $2-$2 rebate= FREE
· 3- 5pk Bic Brite Highlighters $.39 x 3 = $1.17
· 3-5 pk Paper Mate Mechanical Pencils $.05 x 3 = $.15
· 5 White Poster board $.10 x 5 = $.50
· 2 Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths 2/$8-$4 rebate- (2) $2cpns= FREE
· 2 Reynolds Foil $.89 x 2 – (2) $.75cpn= $.28
· Nature Made Rx Essentials $9.99-$9.99rebate=FREE

Paid $24.59-$5.50 coupons-$5RR = $14.09 + $2.28(tax) =$16.37

Total paid out of pocket $28.50
Rebate payback =$16.99 +$1.69(10% on gift card)=$18.68
All this for $9.82!

(Usually a package of generic diapers is about $10.00)

Prayer Request

2008-07-19T15:44:00.001-05:00

Prayer Request

Please pray for my grandfather, Jack Shelton. He is currently in the hospital with pneumonia. He has not been feeling well lately and started having problems breathing. My son Jack "Brayden" was named after him.Papaw at Brayden's 2nd Birthday Party. The theme was construction, so he was wearing his yellow hard hat.

My brother, Stephen, who left last Thursday for missionary work in Kosova. He should be coming back home next Sunday. He will then leave for Uganda on July 31st and stay for 4 months. Please pray for his safety! Also, check out his blog!

Evening at the barn

2008-07-18T20:39:00.002-05:00

We went to the barn to feed Maverick and Linda. Here are some of the photos I took. Brayden loves to help get the food and water for the horses.

Ashton with Linda.

Hank cooling Maverick off.

Brayden the Builder

2008-07-10T09:20:00.004-05:00

This morning the City Drain Maintance came out to fix a crack in a street drain. They had their big trucks with a back hoe. I knew this would be an excitement for Brayden to see. We opened the blinds in Ashton's room and took some photos of Brayden's reaction. He started asking if that was daddy's truck. He thinks every big white truck he sees is daddy's bucket truck he drives for work.

Wordless Wednesday- Future Basketball Player

2008-07-09T10:58:00.003-05:00

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-07T13:00:00.003-05:00

I am trying to get back in the routine of cooking every night before school starts back. This summer I have been so lazy! Here is my plan:

Monday: Homemade Chicken Nuggets with curly french fries and a side salad (for the adults)

Tuesday: Cube steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and Italian green beans

Wednesday: Spaghetti, Garlic bread, and apple sauce

Thursday: Red beans and rice with smoked sausage (hope the kids will eat this, if not soup and sandwichs for them)

Friday: Homemade stew in the crockpot with cornbread

Saturday: Chicken quesadillas

Sunday: Lasagna, corn on the cob, salad

Frugal Friday

2008-07-04T10:24:00.000-05:00

I love to be frugal! That is one of my goals especially being a one-income family. That is hard these days. I am always looking for deals on my favorite websites (http://www.hotcouponworld.com/, http://www.couponmom.com/, http://www.moneysavingmom.com/).

Since my goal for July is potty train Brayden, I found a great deal at Walgreens. By the way, Brayden is doing great with potty training... we do have accidents but he is doing better. Back to the Walgreens deal...

Buy 3 pack of training packs at $5.99 each and recieve a $5 Register Rewards* and then there is a coupon in Walgreen's July Rebate book for $5 off when you buy 2 packs. When the register scans the coupon, it takes off $2.50 for each pack instead of $5 so I actually got $7.50 off. Lets do the math...

$5.99 x 3 packs= $17.97- $7.50 (coupon)=$10.47-$5RR= $5.47 ($1.82 a pack or $.02 for each pull-up)

Not a bad deal!

*For the people who don't know what Register Rewards (RR) are, they are coupons that print off along with your reciept that you use as cash on your next purchase.

Through the Lens - Digital Photography 101

2008-07-03T15:15:00.002-05:00

I have recently joined the group "Through the Lens - Digital Photography 101" led by Hallie at http://www.fromtherubberroom.com/ to learn how to take better photos with my DSLR. I am so excited! My goal is to get out of auto mode and into manual mode experimenting with the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. We will have assignments to complete and I will be posting them on a new blog http://snapshotnovice.blogspot.com/. I would love to hear everyone's comments.

Here is a photo I took at the Memphis Zoo's Butterfly exhibit about a month ago. I think the zoo is one of my favorite places to take pics!

Wordless Wednesday: Wanna be like Dad

2008-07-02T18:07:00.001-05:00

Haircut

2008-07-01T14:25:00.012-05:00

I truly dislike my hair! Always have! It is fine, thin, frizzes, never dries straight, always a kinky curl. I needed a haircut bad from straightening and blow drying. I had a lot of split ends. Yesterday I went to get a haircut and it is pretty short. Shorter than I usually get it cut. I asked Ashton if I look like a mushroom and she just smiled real big and said, "of course not, mom." That girl can't lie! I could tell she was giggling inside! I have to admit my hair looks thicker but not in a good way! Here is a photo... now you can decide.

July: My Monthly Goal

2008-07-01T12:26:00.004-05:00

My goal for this month is to potty train Brayden before his 3rd birthday which is the end of this month! Wish me luck! Here are some past photos... how he has grown!

The New Ashton

2008-06-25T16:17:00.006-05:00

Ashton has been complaining about wanting her hair to be blonde, so we ran to Walgreens and bought color in a bottle. Here are the results. It is not too drastic and she likes it! That is all that matters! This is the beginning of the teenager years!

BEFORE

AFTER

Wordless Wednesday- Swinging at the Park

2008-06-25T12:06:00.001-05:00

Riding

2008-06-24T21:15:00.007-05:00

We let the kids ride our horses this evening and I got some great pictures. Ashton practiced riding barrels with Maverick. She looked awesome!

Brayden didn't want to get off Linda. He was having some much fun! He loves riding horses! I guess we will have to get his own horse in a couple of years. Hank's sister, Brooke practiced barrels with Linda.

An afternoon at the barn

2008-06-23T08:30:00.006-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we went out to the barn to feed "Magot" as Brayden calls our horse, Maverick. Of course, I took my camera to play with while Hank and Ashton feed him. Here some of the pics. (No pics of Magot, just people-maybe next time)

Playing in the MS river...

2008-06-20T20:24:00.004-05:00

Today we took the kids downtown Memphis to Mud Island and let them ride the monorail. We went with my good friend, Nicole and her two boys, Ethan and Wesley. Ashton took a friend, Nikki, which is Nicole's niece. All the kids played so well together! They played in the river walk which resembles the actual MS river from Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Happy Birthday Lane!

2008-06-16T10:57:00.006-05:00

My nephew, Lane, turned 3 this past weekend. Last night we went to his swimming party and I took a couple of pics. Brayden loved the kiddie pool and swimming with his daddy.

"Birthday Boy" Lane
The boys gang up on Hank! Lane wrestling with Uncle Hank.

The Smith Gang
(LtoR):Lane, Ashton, Hank, Brayden, Erin, & Brooke

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T14:43:00.002-05:00

To my husband who is an awesome father to his two kids! We love you and everything you do for us!

Friday Night Softball

2008-06-15T14:02:00.010-05:00

Lately, for the past 2 months we have spent our Friday night's watching Ashton play softball. This past Friday she hit a triple! Way to go Ashton!

Brayden and Kate (my sister's dog) entertained themselves. In the first picture Brayden told her to "sit!" Kate listened for a minute and then she decided licking him would be more fun!

Wordless Wednesday-Dress Up Day

2008-06-11T10:11:00.002-05:00

New babies in the family...

2008-06-06T15:19:00.002-05:00

We just discovered we have new babies in our family ( and no, I am not expecting!) We have a bird house in our backyard. Hank whistled and look what popped up! Kids were so excited to see the new babies!

Summer Fun!

2008-06-06T15:06:00.002-05:00

I am so happy it is summer! Summer means "lots of outside time, relax, and just enjoy family." It has been too hot to play outside during the day, so we have been waiting until after dinner. I am trying to enjoy every moment with them. They are just growing up too fast!
Ashton has been attending Vacation Bible School at Bellevue this week. I realized today was my last day to ever take her to Vacation Bible school. It was kind of a sad moment. She will be going into the 7th grade next year! She is no longer considered in elementary. Where did the time go? As one season changes in our life, I know another exciting milestone is just around the corner. I wish time would just slow down so I can enjoy them longer.

WOW

2008-06-05T15:46:00.003-05:00

You have got to check out the fantastic giveaway being hosted at Rocks in My Dryer in conjunction with WOWonline. I hope I win! Go check it out!

Maverick

2008-06-04T21:34:00.007-05:00

I thought I would post a picture of the main reason we are wanting to move. His name is Maverick. He belongs to my daughter, Ashton. We hope to find a house with some land for him to roam on the Smith Range. Ashton loves to ride and care for him. Here is another photo of her competing in the Halter division. I am so proud of her!

Four Generations

2008-06-03T09:01:00.013-05:00

Watching you become a parent,
Warms me from inside.

My little girl, now a Mother,

Pure happiness and pride.

The precious child you cradle,

Is a part of you and me.

When I see you both together,

I see the way we used to be.

The miracle of your birth,

Is a day I won't forget.

I remember my enchantment,

as our face and eyes first met.

I recall your sweet wet kisses,

And sleepy little sighs.

I remember your first smile,

Brought tears to loving eyes.

As your Mother I still shine,

By the woman you've become.

First blessed by having you,

And now your little one.

I pray that as your Mother,

I've been all that I can be.

May the love you give your children,

Carry on a part of me.

-Teri Harrison

Faye Eanes (my grandmother)
Patty Shelton (my mom)
Kim Owens (my sister)
Christy Smith (me, of course!)
Ashton Smith (my daughter)

Feeding the ducks...

2008-06-02T18:43:00.007-05:00

We have started our summer fun enjoying the outdoors. We went to our neighborhood lake and feed the ducks leftover bread. Brayden "quacked" the whole way to the lake. I took my camera along to take some great pics. I got a new camera for graduation (Olympus 510) last year that I love. Wish I knew how to use the darn thing! I love photography but I am just not good at it. My dad loves photography also. He also has a SLR digital camera. We keep telling each other we need to take a class on how to work our SLR digital cameras. One of these days...

First week of Homeschooling

2007-11-15T13:06:00.000-06:00

Our first week of homeschooling was a real struggle. We had 8 subject lessons to fit in a day. Other homeschool moms were telling me that they work for about 4 hours a day. We started at 9am and would not get finished until 5pm. I was just ready to cry. What were we doing wrong? Brayden was constantly wanting me to do this and that for him causing us to stop and start teaching. My brain was frazzled by the end of the day. When was I suppose to fit in cleaning the house, laundry and cooking dinner? I kept hearing God say just focus your day on Him and everything will fall into place. He knew I needed to turn towards Him and just have patience. After the first month, things started to be more relaxed. We know only do 6 subjects. We dropped Penmanship. She did enough writing in her other courses. We also dropped Bible. Ashton did not care for the curriculm. The lady on the video taught it like she was in kindergarten. It was still hard to fit those 6 subjects in on day. We stopped History to focus on Reading, Grammar, Spelling, Science, and Math. Once we got in routine over these we eventually added in History.
The best thing I did was found a rountine that was consistent. Here is our schedule that worked for us:
8am: Get out of bed eat breakfast at the table; then had a family devotional together
(This is the best thing we started together! How else to start your morning reading the Bible together and praying for each other.)
8:45am We did morning exercise. This is so much fun. I was worried it would make Ashton tired and not want to do school work, but it did the opposite. I woke us up!
9am School starts! We work till about 1 or 2pm depending on what we have planned that afternoon (soccer, errands, etc.)

I put Brayden in Mother's Day Out twice a week just so he can have interaction with other kids his age. This gave Ashton and I to catch up on anything we were behind on or needed extra attention to.

I have to say I still have "stinky days" that I just want to throw my hands up in the air and just quit. I just have to remember "the testing of our faith produces patience." James 1: 3 Homeschooling has been a great journey of trials and testing. I have faith in God that he will be there every step and will give me patience. I want to enjoy my children and they grow up and just cherish every season of life with them. God gave me the best job in the world- raise my children in a godly home.

I have really enjoyed to start to blog. This is my first. I really have have been wanting to write my thoughts down in a journal, but this seems to be easier. Plus I get to share all my great moments with my friends and family. Warning- I am not be the best writer (especially grammar!), but it has been fun.

Off to finish teaching ...

The Beginning of our Journey into Homeschooling

2007-11-14T18:42:00.000-06:00

Hank and I decided to homeschool our daughter, Ashton, this year. She graduated from elementary to middle school which can be a scary transition. Our neighborhood recently got annexed into the city where Ashton will no longer be going to a city school rather than a county school. (City schools are very poor in academics, violence, etc.) We thought about private school, but our finances just couldn't handle it with one income.

I recently graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance. Since I finally got my schooling out of the way, we thought this was the perfect time to begin homeschooling.

I was really nervous about beginning this journey. One minute I was excited that I could have a closer relationship with my daughter. The next minute I was literally freaking out. I have never taught school plus I had a two year old that demanded all my time. I really prayed about this decision. I just felt God wanting me to homeschool- not just academic school but learn more about God . Does that make sense? I want my daughter to grow up to be a godly woman. I needed to show her how to have a close relationship to God. I think that is the best knowledge I can teach my children, God's Word, for their future.

Well, we decided to go with a "box curriculum" which everybody I talked to suggested for the first year. We went with Bob Jones University with the DVD set. Her lessons were on DVD. All she had to do was watch the DVD and do her workbooks. How hard could this be? Wow, was I wrong. After I ordered the kit, I received 5 boxes at my front door within 2 weeks. How much stuff did I need? I have an OCD of organization. Yes, my family makes fun of me all the time for it. Everything must be planned and organized. Everything should be written in my big calendar! Being organized gives me such a high. I told you I am crazy! When those boxes came, my OCD went into overdrive. I had to have everything in a perfect format. I went out and bought organized shelves for Ashton's room. I had everything color coded, folders matched books, spiral notebooks also matched. I had my labeler ready to go to label everything in sight. You would have thought she was actually leaving the house to go to school thinking someone was out to steal all her school supplies. Oh, I forgot to tell you this was in the middle of June. School didn't start till August. Again, I told you I am crazy!

Well, tomorrow I will continue my blog to tell how our first month of homeschooling went..got to get Brayden in the bath tub and off to bed.