I have been a parent for 20 years and for 18 of those I never thought I would ever want to be a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM). I loved my career as the principal of a k-5 charter school in Oregon and couldn’t imagine leaving. But, as life tends to do, mine has evolved and changed. These are some of the main things leading up to this decision:
  • After having my 3rd baby I really felt a loss from taking him to daycare while I was at work. Not that I didn’t feel this with my first two, but it was heavier and more insistent.
  • My second kiddo, Autzen, does better with a parent home with him before and after school and to have more focused one-on-one time.
  • I found myself pregnant with baby number 4 and could hardly stand the idea of having to leave another baby.
  • My husband and I discussed it and decided that we could make my dream of being home with the kids a reality.
  • The advent of the Corona Virus, COVID-19, was a huge push to finalize this decision. We didn’t want the littles in daycare, the workload was so intense I wouldn’t have been able to be present even when home, and when schools moved to distance learning Autzen was 12 and it made sense to have me home with him.
  • You may have counted three kids in this description but four in the picture. My oldest son, Marcus, is living on his own and most likely will not make very many appearances in these pages. He visits frequently and is the hero to his three younger brothers!

Organizing All My Thoughts

My husband, Elijah, has mentioned several times in the past that I should start a blog. There really wasn’t a reason for him to suggest this or at least one that I can remember, just that I should. He and I both have talked for the last 2 years that we should journal about Covid-19 and what is happening in our lives. I’ve never been very interested in journaling or blogging until recently. There is more happening right now in my life than at any other time. I have found myself in a unique position that is worth documenting. Eventually, I hope, it may be a blog that is followed for others to glean information and ideas. In the meantime, it is my journey that is exciting.

There are a number of topics that I will focus on. I’ve listed them below along with a description of what you’ll find on those pages. They will not all be covered in every post, but over time each will be showcased. Some posts will be dedicated to one topic while others may cover several.

Bear with me while I navigate becoming a world-famous blogger. Just remember that you get to say “you knew me when…”!!

Homeschooling – Preschool

When I first started toying with writing this blog Covid had just hit and I discovered that I would be homeschooling a 6th grader. Fast-forward 2 years and at least he is back in school. I previously wrote one post about Autzen and his plan for distance learning. I shared our schedule and what worked, and of course what didn’t. I have also created a plan for Barrett for preschool. It’s loose but focused.
Just like being a SAHM I never thought I would want to homeschool my kids! Here I am; hammering it out! My focus now will be on Barrett’s preschool time along with activities that Grayson is doing.

Getting Fit and Healthy

About 5 years ago I discovered the best plan for getting healthy! Shortly after hitting my goal weight, I found out I was pregnant. I gained close to 50 pounds with that pregnancy. Three years ago I was almost back down to my goal weight, I had about 9 pounds to go, and then…..you guessed it….I was pregnant! I’ll be writing a post solely for sharing how I did it and what worked for me! This is all in an effort to get myself back to it again. If I share it with everyone here then I will be more likely to do it! I would like to share weekly updates here on what my focus was and how I did.

Picture Book Review

Once we settled in at the beach the littles and I began visiting the local library. As I read the books aloud it was always clear to me if it was a special one, an “eh” one, or one I hoped I was never asked to read again. The ones that I loved, or one of my guys loved, are the ones that motivated me to write this section. They are just too good to not share with you! I hope this inspires you to head to your library to check them out!

Maintaining the Household

Having always worked a full-time job I did most of my housework with the rest of the family on the weekend. Our older kids were responsible for cleaning the kitchen after dinner nightly and then everything else waited for the weekend. Now that I am home daily I was feeling bogged down with figuring out how to stay on top of everything. I discovered the Flylady Method. This has been a game-changer for me!

Projects Ranging from Crochet to Home Improvement

When I started out with the idea of creating this space I wasn’t sure how I wanted to share my crochet hobby, but I knew that my love for it made me want to share it. After moving into our beach house I have completed several home improvement projects that have earned a place here as well. These pages will be dedicated to all the crazy crafts and projects I get myself into. Pictured below is an old project that I created for a friend’s newborn baby.

Musings

I’m sure I’ll have other ideas and thoughts that I’d like to share and explore. Who knows what will come from me! It’s as much a mystery to me as it is for you.