Dino Rest

Mr. Noah is finally sleeping in a big boy bed. We moved Rey to the top bunk and put together the other time bed for Dominic and Noah is on the bottom bunk. I bought him an adorable dinosaur bed in a bag from Kohls and he loves it. You should have seen the excitement on his face when he saw it. He kept questioning Mine? Mine? Mine? He calls his blanket it a bank. lol. The first night he slept in it was Friday night. I had tucked in the sides so he wouldnt roll out and he had woken up in the middle of the night when he had crawled to the bottom and couldn't get out lol. He went right back to sleep. The next night was a littl rougher but he is getting the hang of it.

Unplugged Kids

Yesterday I my littlest ones were bored and didn't want to play with their toys so they did the next best thing. They tried on all of the socks in my sock drawer. It was an ingenious idea and it kept them busy for almost an hour. Whodathought?
I love the fact that my children have an imagination and love to play. The oldest two? Not so much but the younger three? Yes. There are many times I walk into the boys room and find Reynaldo and Noah playing with cars or dinosaurs and Gracie loves to pull out all of the dress up clothes and play kitchen stuff and Barbies and Little People. Actually quite often she pulls it all out at once. We are working on that. In fact, her room is a real disaster right now. We are having a very difficult time getting her to clean up her mess's.
I remember spending hours playing with my sisters. We would play baby dolls and Barbies. My favorite though was when we would play school down the basement. We would set it up really cool and play for hours. That is one of my fondest memories growing up.
My oldest two are major book worms and because Kiarrah is an advanced reader, Dominic and her swap books when the mood strikes. Kiarrah has also developed a love for writing like her momma. Dominic also loves to learn about all of the Presidents. I think Autobiographies are his favorite kind of books.
I am just so happy that my husband and I have fostered an environment were our kids can read and imagine and explore. I refuse to be a family where my kids are always watching TV or have their nose in a video game. They do those things but we limit it. I get so upset when we go to social events and all the kids are plugged into something. Whatever happened to just simple child playing?

School Break

We have entered that wonderful month of November where the kids don't have a lot of school. This week alone they only went 2 days. Luckily the weather has been really nice and in the 60's so they can be sent outside to play and get their energy out. Dominic got a new skateboard for his birthday and he has been breaking it in. I am praying for no broken bones.

We also need to finish up some school projects for both Dominic and Kiarrah. Kiarrahs project is extra credit but my little overachiever wants to do it even though she doesnt need the extra credit. She is doing a report on Penguins and has to do a poster. I wish I was like her when I was in school. Dominic is doing a Chinese scroll.

Trying to figure out what to make for dinner. What's on your dinner menu today?I am thinking something with chicken.

Other 3 Kiddos

Now on to my other three children.........

Little Miss Kiarrah will be 9 at the end of this month. She is my overachiever and she does everything 150%. It can be quite draining for me to keep up with her but I encourage her anyway I can. She loves school and is in the honor program. It is a bit more of a challenge for her this year which is a good thing. She is taking vocal lessons at Academy and she is in the junior choir at school. She sings like an angel and I am not just being partial.

I also forgot to mention that the three older kids are involved In Junior Bible Quizzing at church and had their first competition this past weekend.

Gracie is attending  Little Master's Preschool three mornings a week. It is a nice little break for mommy and for her. She is doing the Abeka program and is starting to learn her letters and numbers. We tried to get her to take a ballet class but she was a little Wallerina. She just wouldn't leave the wall. Instead she is taking a Creative Play class with Miss Sarah and is doing much better there.

Noah is a typical momma's leg hugging 2 yr old. Sometimes I think he wishes he was back up in the womb. He is a real comedian and loves to get into stuff. He loves to talk and run and loves Dinosaurs. He also LOVES to dress up in his sisters dress up clothing. I seriously need to find him some boy dress up clothes. He adjusted well to Gracie leaving for school and loves having me to himself. 

11 Months Gone

I seriously can't believe that 11 months have passed since the last time I have written on this blog. What can I say? Facebook has taken over maybe?

Life has been extremely busy and rewarding. The kids are well into school and are taking classes at HCAA.

Dominic turned 12 in October and is quite the comedian. He is having a little bit of a rough time getting used to 6th Grade. I think it is more of an organizational challenge but after meeting with his teachers, he knows what is expected of him. He had tried out for the flag football team and made it but schoolwork had to come first and we had to let football go. Was a hard decision to make as a mommy and daddy but we have seen an improvement in the grades. He is very strong in math. He is also taking Piano at The Academy and he loves that.

This is a picture of Dominic and his future wife. He has proclaimed his love for her. When she came to the house to bring him a cookie pie for his birthday, we told him to get the door when the bell rang because it was his girlfriend. He was quick to correct us and say, "its not my girlfriend, its my future wife. I already have a girlfriend! When she gave him his card with a little gift of cash, she put a not in the card for him to save some of the money to buy her wedding ring. He is too much. Actually I should say, they are too much.

Reynaldo is loving school this year. They moved him into Special Ed although they didn't really want to. It was after my urging them too. Last school year was a waste and he didn't learn a thing. This year his teacher is really good (don't care for the aid but that's another story) He is getting the more individualized help he needs. He is loving the hip hop class that he is taking at Academy. Reynaldo turned 11 in September. It is kind of cool, well at least the boys think so, that they are the same age for a month. 

I'll write more later about the other three.