the results are in...

As many of you know, we embarked on a new journey this past year, the world of home-schooling. I was given so many opinions on it, I decided I just needed to do what I knew was right for Lydia.

I won't lie to you, it was tough. Having your child home all day, and being their teacher is an exhausting job! We were able to get Lydia into a tuition-free state program, called
Arkansas Virtual Academy. Although the curriculum is set for you, the amount of time needed to complete the daily course work, didn't allow me to spend time with my other children.
After much deliberation, we withdrew from the program after 6 months.

The last 2 months of the school year, we finished on our own. We both were relieved, and excited when the school year was done! In Arkansas, the law states that homeschooling families must complete a standardized test at the end of the school year. I suppose they do this so they can compare the scores with that of the public schools.

I was a little nervous as the testing day approached. Fortunately for Lydia, she was able to test nearby, and with a group of kids she was familiar with. After a two month wait, we finally got the results this week. They were very good. I am so proud of her. Her reading is on a 8th grade level(she's in 5th now) and her Math skills were on a 6th grade level. This is a huge accomplishment for her, as math is her most difficult subject.

Lydia, Im so proud of you! We made it, together!

The big four-zero

Its official! I can no longer say I am in my thirties. Where did the time go?
I have to say, I'm handling it pretty well. That's probably because someone hasn't asked me my age yet..lol
It was a little weird this morning to wake up and realize my 30's are gone. I checked the mirror carefully for any more wrinkles or lines. Nope, I look the same as I did yesterday.

Here's a definite reality check. I have to start having mammograms now! Luckily I get out of it this year....ahh.. the benefits of nursing :) I seem to be caught in some weird netherworld.
I've decided I'm just not going to worry about. I can freak out at 50...

tantrums

When I finally had a boy, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that girls cried easily, screamed often, and whined quite a bit. Nothing had prepared me for the terrible two's with a boy.
It's a whole different ballgame.
Something happened to my sweet Jacob on his 2nd birthday. Suddenly, someone flipped a switch in him, that said "rip apart anything you can find", and "have a fit, then you can get
your way".

Here is prime example. We just got a new camcorder, and I captured this in the car on the ride home.