New Ideas for Fall

Fall is practically here!!!

I'm so excited!  We have so many neat things going on this year with the kids with Pre-School stuff at home with me, Fall field trips click here with MOPs (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) which I am coordinating this year (I joined the MOPS steering committee, and I love our team and theme this year--God has created us to be bold, loving and sensible!) and we will have Awana and Gymnastics!  And have I mentioned I'm leading a Ladies Bible Study on Tuesdays?  Yes, I decided to do another year and we are starting off with a Women of the Word series: Giving God Your All.

At first I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with my new responsibilities and schooling the kids again this year (although setting up the school room and buying curriculum and planning is really fun for me click here to see my ideas) but a really great friend reminded me that at this point, schooling my children is is not required or mandatory, they are only 2 and 3, but since I'm a teacher and an educator by career and choice it is hard for me not to feel pressured to do everything with zeal and excellence.  And giving your all is awfully tiring as all you moms out there know!

Last year some milestones for us was Julia being potty trained, Julia getting a big girl bed, Mark talking, and no longer nursing.

This year some milestone Goals are potty training Mark, getting Mark a big boy bed (Dad still has his heart set on making/building one, although I think we might just end up buying one) and giving up thumb sucking and sippy cups (I HATE sippy cups.  I know hate is a strong word but I really don't like packing them every where we go!  It's gotten old, really fast!)  Visiting the Dentist takes place on Aug 31!!! We are so excited over here about that!  Julia and Mark know all about the importance of brushing your teeth, not swallowing tooth paste, and not eating too many sweets or you could get cavities.  We've read so many dentist books that now Julia goes up to strangers and goes, "Do you have cavities?  Let me see!"

And Julia has stopped sucking her thumb, but we are working on Mark-man...Julia tells him about how he needs to stop all the time!

Our Fall School Schedule is packed with reading, writing, and counting, and learning about the weather and the planets!  We continue to review our Presidents during Circle Time and I can't wait to start Awana so we can start earning our badges for memorizing Bible Verses!

While Julia is at Awana, Mark and I will have Mark and Mommy time!!!  I'm thinking we will play in the church nursery or sometimes go food shopping across the street.  Either way it will be just us and really fun.
My Blog will be revamped too:

Monday: School Happenings
Tuesday: Bringing up Boys by Dr. Dobson (featuring me or John, chapter by chapter)
Wednesday: Routines/Sched/Ideas, ways to make life easier
Thursday: Esther study and next 1 Timothy
Friday: Fun Outings
Saturday: (from time to time) Kristi's Kitchen (meal planning or recipes)

And don't you just love Fall?  The cool mornings, the breeze in the trees, the smell of sharpened pencils, and the splashes of reds, oranges, and golds all around?  I love love love FALL!