School is almost here and baby too!

Since I began Homeschool two years ago, the day after Labor Day has always been the goal date to start.  So far I have always began about two weeks earlier than that.  This year we are beginning School a little earlier but not by much.  Our official start day will be September 1st, next Wednesday.  My sweet Mama is coming next Monday to do my hair and leaving Tuesday so that gives us some play time with MiMi before we start!

I've got some last minute things to get done for School.  I'm making a station for Ezekiel that has containers full of stuff he can grab at anytime while I am teaching Josiah and Ava Beth.  Things like blocks, play doh, legos, water colors, crayons, markers, puzzles, etc.  Keeping him busy will help a lot!

My goal is to have everyone up and eating breakfast at 7am.  Then they will brush teeth, get dressed and be ready to sit for "Circle Time/Bible Time" at exactly 8am.  This will allow us to be DONE for the day by 12pm!  A lot of Moms I know and books I have read recommend chores in the morning.  The time that works best for us is 3:30pm.  The house gets messy during the day so I like chores in the afternoon.  Then at 4pm we have "Mozart Hour" and the winding down process begins.  

Obviously this schedule is a goal but will not always work out this way.  A lot of homeschoolers plan every single hour.  This does not work for us.  There are days we start with Math, days we start with Reading or days we start with Grammar.  I am definitely one of those Moms who likes to keep a schedule and must have order to the day.  I am not a "go with the flow" person.  I wish!  But I have learned that if I set up hour by hour and post the schedule for all to follow, I will ultimately feel like a failure when things don't go as planned.  I am pregnant so that throws a kink in plans at times.  Then there is a three year old who most definitely has fits/meltdowns needs I must attend to.  Interruption is almost a sure thing.  Thankfully Josiah can do a lot of stuff independently but it's going to take us a while to get everyone on track and disciplined in the new Fall Schedule.  If I toss and turn all night in the final weeks of pregnancy and don't sleep until 3am in the morning, 8am may not happen! That is why the schedule is a goal but not something I will slaughter myself over for missing.

Co-Op has been delayed until January because they are unable to find a space to meet.  Honestly I am okay with that because a new baby will be here in a couple of months and I need time to adjust.  I think.  Don't I?  Ava Beth is getting ready to start ballet and tap and that will be one thing during the day to alter our schedule a little but a nice break.  It looks like Josiah is going to do Karate but it's just down the street from our house.

I am getting ready to begin my 30th week of pregnancy and feeling it! Mama!  I am so excited that we have chosen Natural Childbirth and I have been given so many incredible stories by some of you and some of my friends. I am praying my body cooperates and allows the process to take place.  With all three of my children I have been dilated to a 2 at 36 weeks and by 37-38 weeks I have been at a 3.  I have never gone past 38 weeks so I am hopeful and feel like I am a good candidate for this. This is what God created my body to do! I am praying constantly about the birth.  If you want to join me, my prayer is that my water will break at home.  If I were having the baby at a birthing center, I would not be as concerned.  But since I will be delivering at a hospital, I want to spend as little time necessary laboring there.  I would really like to do as much as possible at home.  The book Supernatural Childbirth  has given me incredible scriptures to meditate on beginning NOW.  I am so excited to see baby Jude that I can hardly think about it without crying.  Jude has been such a source of healing so I can only imagine what a blessing he will be when he gets here.

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.

Psalm 37:4

I talked my Mom into doing a "Shower By Mail" for Baby Jude.  I am just not up for traveling anymore to Dallas.  I can barely sleep in my own bed, let alone a guest bed. I'm sad I won't get to see all my Dallas friends but maybe they will come see ME!  Slowly things are trickling in that people have given us but I still have to get some big purchases.  Craiglist is the bomb!

Jeremy is running a Marathon on October 23rd! I will be 37 weeks and 1 day pregnant. After he crosses that finish line, I am pretty sure I will be praying every single day for Jude to come!  Right now that date seems like an eternity but soon Jude will be in my arms and I will miss being pregnant.

-Amanda