Levi

Thought I'd share a few pics of our cat!  Oops I mean dog.  But he acts like a cat.  Seriously.  He doesn't "meow" but HE decides when and if you can pet him.  He's hilarious!  We love him deeply.  And are truly thankful for his lack of contribution to our need to pet him.  LOL

Ok so he was just groomed today and his face is already dirty.  He's a mess!!

Not sure what he's planning in the above photo but he's mysterious!  ha

Yes, I am in charge can you tell?

I am still not used to a point and shoot camera.  It's killing me.  Sometimes it flashes sometimes it doesn't.  ugh  But anyway that's Levi being Levi.  "No you can't take my picture"!

"You talking to me?"

Well that's my share for the day!  He's a spoiled mess!

Levi - Shih tzu ( or something of that nature in Cat language)

Green Beans

I love Green Beans.  One of my all time favorite veggies.  My son doesn't share that love.  hehe  He prefers to smother them with an alternate flavoring so he can manage to get them down.  Here is his way of tolerating green beans at dinner time.

These are actually Snap Beans (FAVORITE)  LOL.  I think they even taste better than the average green bean but not Gabriel.  Ranch is the only solution!  :)

Here is the entire meal:

Tailgate Potato Salad is another favorite dish in the Fidler house.

I baked/broiled the BBQ chicken this time and still used the skewers because it's fun and

saves the messy fingers.

I've been drinking Sxinney Water!

I've tried this new Sxinney Water.  I am still drinking it daily. I actually like it.  Nice and refreshing.  I am still struggling with foods.  I just like food.  And FAT FREE just turns my stomach!  LOL

I added a link to the right for Lose It it is a great site!  It helps you count your daily calories so you can see exactly how much you are eating daily.  I really like it.  Helps me to see when I am eating too much and realize what types of foods I am ingesting daily.

Anyway, I continue this feat of weight loss and hope to be able to share some good news in the near future!

Pardon me while I scream!

hahaha  I have been having issues with Blogger for quite some time.  I am unable to make comments on blogs or even my own for that matter.  I even did a search for help and found info telling me to clean my cache.  I've done so.  NOTHING  So I apologize I haven't responded to your comments and hopefully I will eventually prevail over this thing!

LOL

Hopeless! ROFL Don't you just love these titles!

I implemented this idea of "Allowance" to our children.  I was trying to find a way for them to learn to give, save and save to spend money.  A way to learn how it feels to do all three of these.  We don't completely have a understanding about money until it is our own that we are using. 

So I had this excellent idea that they could earn it in a sense.  I mean do the chores anyway but here's an incentive if you do them without complaint and you'll have a way to save for the things you feel you just have to have.  Instead of asking for "mom" and "dad" to buy them.  Oh I was sure this would motivate and I wouldn't be worried with regular asking about "can you buy me this".  Well, let's just say it didn't wuite turn out that way.  LOL

I am WEAK!!!  And I am unorganized!!  So I failed and they did too.  Everyday is a learning lesson, right?!  :)

I allowed myself to let them fail and then I didn't follow thru with the rules.  So as of today, not more WEAKNESS!!  I have you all to back me on this!  haha  If they didn't earn and save it then they don't get it!!!!!  Now that doesn't mean if we decide to get the kids something then so be it.  But not feeling bad and getting things they don't need or didn't care to wait for.  When I ask them if they'd saved and bought the item with their own money the story changes.  For instance: if I had known that was coming out of my money I wouldn't have bought it.  Oh, now they see how it feels to use their own money!  ha 

So anyway, I am hoping I have learned from my mistakes and we'll all be better for it.  (I didn't share all the details here but please know I don't buy tons of things for my kids.)

A few teaser's before the preview. hehe

Above:  Don't ask how I ever made it as a photographer.  haha  I mean that's some serious crooked shooting!  hehe  Anyway, this will be Gabriel's desk.  He loves green! The book shelf appearing the to right will be Caitlin's.  That is why everything is PINK!

Below: Gabriel is enjoying our wireless Internet.  I set up a desk and comfy chair for me to workat as needed.  Lovely window view!  :)

Below:

Partial Room view.  We already had the rugs in their rooms before we moved and they match wonderfully.  I mean how God sent is that!  :)

This is our Florida/Sunroom.  Window A/C.  I am so thankful for the space!!  Lots of windows!

Wish I had it in me to paint.  But my back is killing me!  bummer

Below: This is Gavin's corner.  He likes the corner.  lol  He loves BLUE!  He is studying America this yr so a United States map is perfect!  I am still working on other possibilities for necessary charts and so forth!

Below: Caitlin's desk arrived damaged so we had to return and order another.  Hopefully coming today!!!   I am just as excited as she is, haha.  Our bedroom window is unfortunately behind this bookshelf and map.  But small sacrifices are necessary!  :)

So this is my project of the month.  Hoping to have a crisp, fun environment for school this yr.  When the set up is easy it makes for an easier school yr.  Not shuffling everything off the dining room table for every meal and not one is secluded to their room. 

I'll share more as it blossom's!  :)

Homeschooling

Well it's that time again when we have to make that desision about homeschooling or going to school somewhere out of the home. This is something I have struggled with just over the past two school yrs. I am constantly given advice from many well meaning people I'm sure but only to add the the frustration of making the decision. Is that a run on sentence? ha

So after much deliberation we have decided homeschooling it is for our family. We have spent 6 yrs homeschooling prior to last yr when we placed our young'ns in a local Christian school. And about half way through the yr I withdrew them. It became an unpleasant experience. Sadly I had hoped it would be wonderful and the children would absolutly love it. We will leave that right there.

Anyhow, with lots of prayer we choose homeschooling for now. God's made it possible and we are excited to have a space available for it as well. Will share pics soon! I have a few details to add. Hopefully as the room grows with excitement (artwork and so forth), I'll be able to share more. I am just so excited to get to spend more time with my children. They are the loves of my life (and of course my fabulous husband), and I can't wait to watch them learn and grow more everyday.

One thing I did want to address about homeschooling is I've been more and more influenced that my homeschooled children are suffering in some way by not being allowed to attend to school. I am so estactic that I have finally gained consciousness and can assure anyone concerned that my children will be just fine in life and will suffer no permanent damage from being homeschooled. Just saying. More to come from that later too! ha

So as we set out in our endeavor to homeschool I'll be journaling here, sharing what our strange homeschool world is all about! :)