cuteness.

of course i totally am waaay biased.

i love it when amelya smiles huge! she's looking so much more like a big girl!! we've almost finished up our K math and will be soon starting 1st grade math. and i've plotted out our year and we should be starting 1st grade after thanksgiving. she's been loving to read read read all the time and it is so cool to know that i helped her learn it. that is one huge aspect of homeschooling that i'm loving so far. i get to be a part of every moment she 'gets' it.

miss breigh is joining in on school doing things at her level. she loves to write letters and make up words. it's amazing to me how much she has 'matured' in writing over the summer. she still loves to play with stuff while doing school. usually i can give her a rubberband to play with and it helps keep her attention longer. we go with the flow with her. she's loving dance class so far this year, and it's fun to see her 'watch over' caitlyn in her class. there are only 4 girls in their class this year, so it's funny to think my kids make up half the class.

since turning three last week miss caitlyn has decided to give up naps. but it's going wonderfully. i've managed to get her to lay down at least once a week, she doesn't sleep but does get a good 'rest'. she will join in for schooltime once in awhile. otherwise quietly plays. i'm not pushing her too much on anything 'structured' but she loves to 'write' on paper. she has the straight line thing down really well. and now i need to start thinking about potty training. i'm hoping she is as easy as her sisters were. and it will be quite strange to have two in diapers again!

dustin. the boy. he is so a boy. it's amazing to me how different boys and girls are after the age of one. well at least my girls and him. he keeps me hopping and has taken me into uncharted waters quite a bit lately. and then of course gives me that big toothy grin and melts me with his baby blue eyes. :) thankfully he will still take a good 3-4 hour nap during the day, he still needs his naps. and it gives me the ability to give the girls my 100% attention during school time. he's loving to listen to stories lately and i think has made it through an entire book a few times. he doesn't like to sit still very long, so generally we read a few pages and up and off he goes. :)

and then miss evaleigh. she learned a new 'trick' the past week or so ago. she has a smile that melts my heart. and makes me all the more thankful for my kiddos. she's been cooing and making all those fun baby noises too. she's sleeping fantastically at night. usually going to bed between 9-10 and then sleeps til 7-730. if she keeps doing that i'm going to try putting her to bed with the rest of the kiddos, so she's more on their schedule. which just involves moving bedtime to about 830. i always put her to bed awake so she can learn to fall asleep on her own. and she's a pro at it. she's also been finding her thumb lately. so it'll be interesting to see if she will be our thumb sucker. we haven't had one yet!!

we were able to get a family picture!! i love how it turned out. and everyone is looking pretty much at the camera, and not crying. so it worked out great!! shaun is working the next 17 days in a row (a stretch of 19) and i'm so thankful for him and his hard working attitude. his job has been really stressing him out lately, and he keeps talking about quitting. so i'm really praying about that and where God will lead him/us.

me. you can't really tell too much. but i was able to get a haircut this past weekend. we were at the mall and i went to the 'spa' there to get a haircut. i haven't LOVED my haircuts the past few times. but this time i do love it. it's pretty short in the back, but gets longer up front. it's super easy to wash and go, and have a tiny bit of 'style' to it. and that's what i need/want/love!!

have you made it this far?! i picked a winner for the muffins. it was sarah (SMALLS). she's actually local to me, so sarah, i'll deliver it when i deliver you your books.

i *think* i emailed everyone who was interested in doing a review on their blog. if i didn't, and you're still interested let me know. basically...go to my site, and pick out something you'd like to try! and then i'll send it to you.

i also wanted to open up the idea of having a 'party'. wildtree now allows you to have an 'online' party. you send out the link to your friends and family. and they shop right on the site. then you get free food based on their orders. (at least 200 in sales...which gives you at least 40 in free food) if it sounds like something you'd be interested in let me know!! i love the idea because people from all over can order, and have it shipped to them, and you get free food!!

i haven't been on the computer much lately. between school and dance it's been crazy busy here. i'm going to start scheduling 'time' for me to 'work' on the computer and limit it to that. i think it will work out better for me to get to reading blogs, editing pictures, writing on my own blog, etc etc etc. my goal is to become 'wiser' with my time. something i struggle with. so i'm looking forward to the blessing of that!!

speaking of 'budgeting' time...my time is soon up. so enjoy the rest of your day. and i hope to enjoy your blogs during my next 'budgeted' time. :)