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Last year i came up with what i thought was a genius idea for my daughters bedroom. I organized all they're toys into groups, used the $1 plastic 'shoe box' containers that Walmart sells, made labels and stored the toys on the top shelf of their closet, out of reach. The rule was: if their room was clean, they could pick two bins to play with. They had to clean up those bins before i would get anymore down. 

Sitting here on the Sunday trying to put the messy house of my head and just enjoy my little man. 

Is there anything better? Baby cuddles <3

So nice to have a relatively unproductive day but a very productive night lol

Today is my due date!

I am learning how different each child is. What works for one does not always work for the other.

Lately it has been a battle with my second to oldest girl. She sneaks into the kitchen at night to get food or snacks and hides it in her bed. She has been lying, hitting and biting to name a few. Time out or spanking just doesn’t seem to work like it does for my oldest. Abby could care less about time out and while she hates spankings and throws a huge fit if you go to do it, I don’t think it phases her at all after it’s done.

So I’ve been at a total loss with her. It’s gotten to where I almost ignore her bad behavior because punishment doesn’t seem to work. I realized I had to stop that right away! Then I went and let my pregnancy hormones overtake me and I bawled my eyes out for just how horrible of a job I have been doing with Abby.

So I got online (pinterest) and started looking for other options. I was raised more traditional with spankings and time out and that is how I started with my kids. I’m not saying it’s not the way to go, but it just doesn’t seem to be working for my Abby.

So I found a few things I really liked. We already have a chore system in place where they have daily routines and chores and earn ‘reward tickets’ for doing them so when I saw this discipline board that used a ticket system I thought we would give it a try and see if it could incorporate will. Here a link to the website HERE. I printed off their ‘rewards and consequences’ PDF for now but if it works then I will go ahead and make my own.

Then I found another printable HERE that has bible verses and consequences for different actions. Last night I printed both of these and got them up on the frig.

So this morning I talked to them about the how things were going to change and what they could expect. We also started back up the daily routine and chore board to go along with it.

Today has been tough to say the least. Poor Abby has lost quite a few tickets and privileges today. I’m not sure how it’s going to go. I will give it some time and see if her behavior improves at all because before it was just going down hill.

Today she has already gotten in trouble for hitting and kicking, bad table manners, acting up bad in public and lying >_< she has lost a lot of tickets and cried more then usual.

But on the upside I have been able to speak a lot more scripture to them for their actions, there has been zero yelling and no spankings. So for me, a lot less stress! And Abby has came to me and asked what she could do to earn tickets back,

She currently has a lot of tickets she needs to earn back so before bed she has some catching up to do.

I am crossing my fingers this works for her because I really need something to help us.

This morning i thought 'oh I can't wait to be able to sleep on my stomach', thinking about after the baby. Then reality hit.... Heh.... Like that will be happening any time soon! There is to much nursing and baby holding a newborn that sleeping arms free enough to sleep on your stomach is an immense luxury.

I’ve seen many different list of age appropriate chores for children pinned on pinterest. Most all of them say that kids as young as 5 years old can help with loading the dishwasher and putting clean dishes away. I had personally let my oldest (5trs) put the clean silverware away but had never gone as far as putting the rest of the dishes away, let alone loading the dishwasher. Today I decided to give it a try.

First I had Abby (4yrs) scrap all the lunch dishes. This was something they were use to doing so no big deal.

Then I had Anabel scoop the lunch food into a tuber ware and put it in the frig. They love to help with chores in general that adding another task was very exciting to them. Usually I don’t have them do to much in the kitchen in less it is a designated time where they help me make cookies or something.

Then I had Anabel get up on a chair and had Abby bring her the clean dishes in the dishwasher for her to put away. Abby was like ‘We are doing team work!’

Then Abby took her turn on the chair at the sink. I showed her how to rinse the dishes and hand them to her sister which in turn Anabel would put them in the dishwasher. I took time to show and explain to them how we fill the dishwasher to get the most dishes in at a time ect. They adored this! Anabel even learned how to load the soap and turn on the dishwasher.

It did take a little long then if I was to do it by myself but I felt it was so worth it and I was very glad I gave it a go. I’m not saying I’ll always have them help me do the dishes but I think it was a good chore for them. I also think that Anabel is so detailed oriented that she will learn the correct way to load the dishwasher fairly quickly.

Overall very successful!

I am freaking miserable!

I’m not sure what is up today but baby keeps pushing on me, way below there, and it hurts especially into my back! He’s been doing this off and on for hours and he’s doing it so close together that it’s making me super edgy and….. not in a good mood to say the least! I want him to stop

Yesterday I had to take our little kitty Ellie to the vet to get spayed, shots and nails trimmed. I had to be there between 7:30-8am and the place was 45m away from us, so I have to get everyone up early!

Since I don’t make it to the big city very often, I decided to make a day of it. After I dropped the kitty off we picked up some breakfast and waited for the Dollar Tree to open.

I adore the Dollar Tree. I find so much stuff there that I can use for several things. I love finding school supplies there. Check out my post on my homeschooling blog about what I found this same day that I could use in the school room HERE

I have been wanting to get to the Dollar Tree to find things I can use in busy boxes/bags for when the new baby comes.

Here are some things we got:

• Two girl coloring books
• Two boy coloring books
• Two activity books with paper dolls in them
• Two puzzles
• Two metal contraction sets
• And a game.

Here they are separated and put in zip lock bags.

I still would like to figure out some more activities for them. Trying to come up with some more.

Then I found some things I decided to use as gifts for the two kiddos that is coming up.

Matthew ADORES Curious George and I was excited to find some Curious George items at the Dollar Tree. Then I found this minion activity pack and since their party is Despicable Me themed then I had to grab it.

Then I grabbed these things for the Rabbit House I want to make the girls for Easter. You might not be able to tell in the picture but the brown tube there is actually wood grain contact paper. I’m going to use that for some flooring in the house. I also want to use the carpet piece as flooring too. The other two contact papers I was thinking could be wall paper. The fabric will either be curtains or pillows or something. The little coaster I thought could be cute rugs! And last but not least the moss rocks, want to place them in the ‘yard’, think that will be cute!

I have been also planning Abigail’s ‘mermaid’ party that will be in July. I looked up shells and man are they expensive! I saw these are the Dollar Tree and while her party is a long ways away, I know that the Dollar Tree’s stock changes constantly so if I wanted these while they had them.

Then at Wal-Mart I hit the jackpot on Lalaloopsy dolls! Mark down from $10 to $2.50. I got one of each color they had. I’m stuffing this in my gift storage and going to give these to Abby on her birthday. She loves Lalaloopsy! So she is basically covered, gift wise, for her birthday! Yay!

Things have been a bit crazy these last few months. Pregnancy, sicknesses, getting behind in homeschooling (ugh!) then things happening with my hubby and his job… more pregnancy fun… sicknesses that won’t go away! And so on!

I am currently (as of tomorrow I guess) 33 weeks along with this little guy! I think we finally named him, although we aren’t letting anyone know till he’s born!

I’ve been sick for a looooong time. It started with my second daughter who just couldn’t get over her couch and now I was blessed to get it as well lol. I cough so bad I throw up (sorry TMI). My midwife let me know that it is straining my stomach muscles badly and causing issues she thinks with the baby flipping into the head down position here on Tuesday I have my next appointment and hopefully there is good news, that he has went head down! I’m still coughing though I take my meds but still got it!

The biggest news though is that possibility that we might move. Some different things happened at the hubby’s job that caused him to start looking for another place to move on it. We a possible job, not 100% but the closest to another job he’s gotten so far. It would require so to move though, almost 2 hours away. This would mean selling our home, leaving our church and looking for a new home to buy. A HUGE step.

I’m hoping that by making a move, that we possibly could find a place to by in the country. It is wishful thinking but maybe!

It’s daunting to think about. We adore our church, I love our home. We have made so many mental plans of what we want to do with this house. I would be content to live here a long long time but I also know that sometimes what God has planned for us isn’t always to stay in one spot our entire lives. I want to go where he wants us, no matter what the means.

The thought of moving is quite stressful. I’m sure anyone who has owned a home knows what I am talking about! Plus this was a fixer upper when we bought it. We have done a lot of things to the house: privacy fenced in the back yard, but a front porch on it, put a new roof on the home, installed a raised bed garden area, redone a few of the bedrooms, but we are still living on subfloors in most of the downstairs and there is still a ton of things that need to be done. To get it in shape to sell we are talking about doing a lot of things that are on our dream list to do…. only to do them for someone else it is a bit of a downer.

We would have to move into another fixer upper probably and one that is most likely going to be smaller. It’s doable and I kinda look forward to the challenge of downsizing as long as it means upsizing the property line hehe.

In the end God knows what is best for our family and we need to trust him and pray he guilds our foot steps. Until then with a baby coming, holidays and birthdays coming, we have a ton on our plate!

I am feeling at the moment excited about our future, what ever that may be. I really am. I’m trying to stay positive, which hasn’t been so easy for me lately with these ‘unknowns’ lingering, pregnancy hormones and so much on my to do list it is crazy!

The invite I made for the party.

I have done so much searching and planning! I think this party will turnout super cute!

I’ve made up little signs that will be printed and put in stand next to the food:

(Aka cheetos)

(Aka donut holes)

(Aka cotton candy)

Then for table decoration I worked and worked on this idea. First I thought about buying some despicable me stuffed animals to have set on the table as decorations but I figured that was far to expensive. Then I moved to creating my own super large minions out of poster board. I still think that idea would have turned out super cute, but with all the things I have to do and the baby coming and such, well both me and Hubby thought that would be to much work.

So I found a solution! I found wall decals that I decided I would cut out poster board in the shape of the decal, adhere the decal and make a little stand so they sit up. I found on Amazon a set of 31 different decals for less the $12 on prime. The came today. Yes two months in advance but I figured I was going to need to start way ahead if I was going to get everything done!

I’m so excited! I can’t wait to start making these! I figure the bigger ones with go on the main dessert table, then a few on the craft table and then the littlest ones will go on the tables that everyone will sit at.

I’m hoping they will turn out cute >_< Because if so then I think I will do the same idea for Abigail’s party too.

Then on ebay I found these cloth Despicable Me bags that I thought would be perfect to use as gift bags since they are cloth and can be used after the party as well.

I always try and do some sort of outfit for the birthday person. This year I think Matthew will be just in a yellow shirt and jean overalls, but for Anabel I bought her this outfit:

I have several games planned that go along with the theme as well and little grab bags for all the kids. I have other décor items in my shopping cart waiting to be purchases on Amazon as well but I don’t have to rush on those.  My plan is to keep this party at about $100. For a double party I think that is cheap, for décor, games, food, piñata and grab bags. I’m hoping I can pull it off >_< Not sure if I can. Maybe with money from surveys and such I can pull it off!

I think it will be super cute!