Homeschooling Hadley: Sick Week

Well, this week was supposed to be week 2 of homeschooling Hadley, but Sunday evening she came down with a pretty high fever.  Monday morning she seemed to feel pretty good, so we did lesson one, but it was clear by the afternoon that she was not feeling her best.

Tuesday morning her fever way still up (102.7!!) and she was not her playful self.  I piled her in the car and took her to the doctor--in the middle of a snow storm.  We sat at the doctor for 2 1/2 hours...with all the other sick children in our town!



Her fever was so high I was worried about the flu or a UTI.  The UTI would have been bad news if you remember this post.  I was just praying we weren't going to head down that road again!

The flu test was negative, ears/throat looked great, and her WBC count was normal, so we were pretty sure it was just viral.  If her fever was still high Thursday, I was going to have to bring her back Friday morning to test for UTI.  My grandparents came down Tuesday to see Hadley and they loved it because she was such a cuddle bug.  My grandmother made dinner for us which was such a help--and delicious as always!



Thankfully, her fever broke Wednesday.  She started acting like my sweet, funny girl again and by Thursday she was back to her typical crazy self!



It sure made my momma heart happy to see her smile again!  So, I didn't push any lessons this week and we just cuddled and when she felt better, we made up for all the play time she missed while she was sick.

Homeschooling Hadley: Dogs

Hadley loves dogs.  Like looooovvves them.  So I thought it was fitting that this week, we learned all about dogs!

Monday: Monday was introduction day.  I wrote the word "dog" on Hadley's chalkboard easel and drew a picture of a dog.  (The drawing is terrible, but Hadley walked right up to it and said, "dog!" so it must have been good enough for her to know it was a picture of a dog!)



We went over our bible verse for the week: "Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds." Proverbs 27:23.  I know she won't be able to memorize bible verses at all, but I want to start incorporating them so they will always be a part of her routine.

We also read the book DOG by Matthew Van Fleet.  Hadley loves this book!  There are fuzzy parts for her to touch and some of the dogs have moveable parts!  It's a pretty great book!  We also talked about the sounds that dogs make. We chose to go with "bark, bark" :)

Hadley had fun playing with her toys in between each part of the lesson, so all in all, today took about 20 minutes!  Hadley also enjoyed pointing out other dogs in books we read later during the day.  So much fun!

Tuesday:  Hadley found out the hard way today that if you're home-schooled...there are no snow days!  We are iced in with the rest of the south, but still managed to get our "lesson" in.  Hadley learned about the parts of a dog with this great page from Rocket's Mighty Words.

She also got to point out different body parts on her own dog, Marley--who was less than thrilled to be involved in the lesson.  We read the book "Doggies" by Sandra Boynton and we played by walking (and barking!) on four paws like dogs do!


Wednesday: Wednesday's lesson had to wait until it warmed up a bit outside! (Warmed up to a hot 34 degrees!) Because it was all about how dogs get exercise.  Tuesday we "walked on paws" like dogs do, but we were actually supposed to walk Marley this day...outside...after an ice storm.  *Good planning, Mom.*  We went over our bible verse and read "Spot's First Walk" by Eric Hill.  Hadley loves flap books, so she was pretty entertained.  Both Marley and Hadley enjoyed being outside in the freezing cold, I however, didn't!  It actually started snowing while we were out there.  But we weren't going to let that ruin our lesson!

Thursday:  Hadley has some stuffed animal dogs, so we lined up all our dogs up and talked about how they all have the same parts, but they look different!  Some are big, some are small...some are furry. ;)



We read the book Where's Spot? by Eric Hill--another flap book.  And we colored a picture of a dog!  Hadley loved coloring!  She has fat crayons and we used colored pencils, too.  She spent about 20 minutes coloring!




Friday: We finished week 1 of #homeschoolinghadley !! We read "Go, Dog, Go" by P.D. Eastman.  Even though the words are short, there are lots of pages and Hadley couldn't sit still for the whole thing.  So we went through and picked out different dogs and whatever else she wanted to pick out.  (Like the moon and a boat.)



We went over our bible verse and got to watch a youtube video!  I found this 3 minute video on youtube about babies and dogs "talking" to each other.  Hadley loved it because she loves babies and the dogs were making all kinds of sounds.



We finished up by playing with her "dog" Spot, picking out body parts and giving him treats.

Such a fun week!

Stitch Fix

Well, I caved.  I've been hearing a lot about stitch fix all over the place recently and when it popped up on my Facebook ads recently, I reluctantly went to the site to check it out.  Once there, I knew I was going to sign up.  Since I'll no longer be wearing scrubs to work, I'm in need of some new pieces to spice up my wardrobe.  I want good, quality pieces that will last, will mix and match with things I already have, and maybe some statement pieces, too.  I am also terrible at fashion!  I like to call my style the "mom" style.  Jeans, sperrys, cardigans...I'm pretty sure I scream "mom" everywhere I go.  The sad part is, I dressed like this long before I even had kids, haha!  I'm not frumpy or anything like that, but just very "Mom-ish".  So the fact that someone styles things for me?  You had me at hello!  Pair that with the fact that I don't have to actually travel anywhere to shop, but just wait for a package to show up at my door?  Well, alright.  If I must.

I signed up for an every-other-month delivery and may even back it down to every 3 months eventually.  I'd like to get new pieces each season, but don't want to be spending a fortune each month, either.  I got my first box today and here's the breakdown:

**Sorry about the picture quality/shadows!  I took the pictures on my own and clearly didn't get the lighting right.  Although, some of it isn't the lighting, but just me! ;)**

*Not Pictured: Dante Cut Out Metal Oval Layered Necklace
     -It was cute and I wish I could show it to you, but the clasp was broken.  So I couldn't even try it on.  Boo.  Clearly I sent back.

*Lauree V-Neck Drape Dress
     -I was really hoping I would like this dress.  It was so cute in the box and I love the navy color, but when I tried it on, it just didn't flatter me!  The waistline sat a little strange on me and my shoulders look very broad.  I sent back.

*Stellan Draped Cardigan
     -I loved this cardigan!  I loved the feel of it, I loved the neutrals, and I loved it's versatility.  I so wish I could have kept it, but I have so many sweaters and cardigans in my closet right now, I couldn't justify it.  :(  So, I sent back.



*Jimmy Ankle Length Skinny Jean
     -I liked these. (Pictured above..and below!)  They fit great and would be easy to dress up or down.  Except I already have a pair of black skinny jeans.  Again, I sent back.

*Colibri Solid Tab Sleeve Blouse
     -Loved, LOVED this shirt.  Loved it.  Hubby said it "slimmed" me out.  Easy to dress up, easy to dress down.  A color I never would have considered for myself and I love the length.  KEPT!

If StitchFix is something you think you might want to try, and you're so inclined, will you click this link to my referral page on StitchFix?  Thanks!

Homeschooling Hadley

I finished up in the NICU last Wednesday and because my new job requirements are some Saturdays and some evenings, I am going to have a lot of time to devote to my baby girl!  I am so excited about this, as I felt pretty guilty recently for having to nap and being exhausted the days after I worked the previous night.  I know Hadley got far too much time in front of the television, but some days that's all I could do to survive.  But, that's no longer an issue!

Hadley is so smart and is picking new things up everyday.  I love watching the wheels turn in her head!  She's not in preschool and I'm the only form of entertainment she gets right now, so I thought it would be neat to start "homeschooling" her!  I do not plan to homeschool her in the long run, but  I do want her to learn things while she is home with me.  So, each week I am going to cover one topic with her, read some books, do some crafts, etc.  I'm really excited about it!

**Disclaimer: Hadley is 16 months old and the best way she learns right now is through free play.  Because of this, I've limited the "lesson" to be done within an hour each day, usually less.  Each piece of the lesson takes no more than 5 minutes (usually) and if we are doing something she doesn't want to do, we don't do it!  I'm not forcing her to participate in any activities she doesn't want to!  I want to cultivate an appreciation for learning in her and I want her to have fun!

If you want to keep up with our lessons, I'll be posting weekly as well as putting pictures on instagram under the hashtag #homeschoolinghadley

Follow along with us!

Being a Parent Is Hard

Being a parent is hard.  I know, I know...I only have one!  Some families have 2, 3, 4...and if you're the Duggars you have upwards of 2 dozen kids!  I haven't been there (yet!) so I can honestly say I don't know how you do it.  Hadley is 15 1/2 months and never stops.  Never.  I love it because she is learning so much and doesn't want to miss anything, but by the end of the day...my butt is whooped.  Over the past few days, I've thought about the different reasons parenting is hard to me.  Here's a few of them.

Always on the go!

Parenting is hard because I don't know if I'm making the right decisions for her.  Is keeping her out of daycare the right choice?  She's so active and friendly, would she bloom even more with children her age?  Or would she not get the attention she needed?  When do I need to take her to the dentist?  I brush her 10 little teeth every day.  But... I let her eat raisins...are her teeth going to rot and fall out before we even get our first cleaning?  I let her watch tv sometimes.  (The horror...) Is she going to develop a learning disorder because I let her watch tv before the recommended age of 2?  Is the time right to cut out her morning nap, or does she still need that sleep?

Parenting is hard because I have no time to myself.  I have to make an effort to get up at 6 every morning to make time for my devotional, enjoy a cup of coffee, and a little quiet before baby girl wakes up.  Shower by myself?  Joke.  Change from dirty sweats into clean sweats?  Not without a sidekick.  Bathroom?  I have my own personal flusher.  Eat a delicious breakfast?  Only if I want to share most of it (with my daughter, my dog, and my cat...yikes.).  And when hubby gets home from work, he needs attention, too! ;)


(My sincere apologies to all the Target shoppers who get to see my un-showered, no make-up self multiple times a week...it's the stage of life we're in, y'all.)

Parenting is hard because the house is always a mess.  There is always laundry to do, dishes to wash and put away, and toys to clean up.  But the exact toy I put away is the exact toy she wants to play with at that exact moment.  And she wants to play with Mommy.  I can't do laundry and dishes when my girl wants to play.  I've always heard, "there will be time later to put things away."  And that's right.  There is time later when she naps or when she goes to bed.  But what they don't mention is when she naps and goes to bed, all I want to do is sit down!  Prop my feet up!  Have a drink of water! (Or wine...)  Read a book!  And most of the time I choose to sit down instead of clean up.  (Sorry to those of you who have been to my house when it's a mess...you can attest to what I'm saying, ha!)


I'm not sure the glass door will ever be clean again. ;)

Parenting is hard because I can't stop kissing her chubby cheeks when she says "no."  She's a little person now, full of her own opinions and she won't hesitate to tell me "no" when she doesn't want hugs and kisses.  But I made you!  I can hug you and kiss you any time I want to!  But, in order to teach her that people need to keep the personal boundaries you set, I solemnly let go and try to keep the hurt from my eyes.  Can't I just kiss your cheeks one more time?  "No."  Okay then.



Parenting is hard because I can't put her down when she falls asleep in my arms.  I'm going to be brutally honest here.  I rock my baby to sleep.  And I don't feel bad about it one bit.  Now that she's a little older, she's usually still slightly awake when I put her in her bed, but there are still those (fleeting!) times where she falls asleep in my arms.  And I just can't put her down.  The drool spot on my shoulder gets bigger and bigger,  her warm breath gets sweet and sweeter, and her little body just relaxes until she practically melts into me.  I know in my head it would be best to put her in her bed, but my heart just can't do it.  One more minute, just like this, please.  After all, she won't go to college wanting me to rock her to sleep!



Parenting is hard because my face hurts from smiling so much.  This child of mine is so full of life. She dances, she spins circles, she stomps her feet, claps her hands, and will send herself into fits of giggles that you can't help but laugh at.  My face hurts, y'all.  I can't help but smile when she dances to T. Swift's "Shake it Off", or sees "Mimi!" (Minnie Mouse) on tv, or attempts to mouth the songs I'm singing to her, or sees herself in pictures and says "Ha-yee!", or...the list goes on and on.  I have wrinkles around my eyes and permanent grin lines.  She fills my heart with such joy and everyday gets better and better with her.

Parenting is hard.  It's supposed to be, I think.  The constant worry, the constant fear of "am I doing this right?" But she is so worth it.  She's mine.  God made her the perfect daughter for me.  He knew just who she would need to raise her into a strong woman and He knew just who I needed to push me to be who He needs me to be for His kingdom.  I will gladly take the tough decisions, the lack of privacy, and mess, all if it means I get that one "yes, Mommy" you can have one more kiss.